As Simple as Black and White, right?
by xokatherine229
Summary: She is a servant by day and a spy by night. Her life was always as simple as black and white, but what happens when her life starts to change right before her eyes? How will she handle it? What new adventures will present themselves? ItaXSaku
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Well hello there everyone! :) Guess whose back and better than ever?! Me! I had to take a little break, thanks to midterms and all, but while I was taking my break, I thought of a awesome story. This story, however, isn't like others. It is more AU I guess but still, I hope you all like it! The story takes place during the middle ages, just a heads up for all of you :)

The rating is M because of language and violence. There will be some hot scenes, but no lemon, I can't write those for shit XD

Full summary: She's a servant by day and a spy by night. It was a simple life, it was as plain as black and white, but what happens when she starts to learn about her past? How will she handle it? On top of all that the Prince of the castle is starting to notice her. Will they fall for each other or will they become enemies? What will be the King and Queen's reaction be? ItaXSaki flic!! :)

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Prologue

Once upon a time, in the prosperous land of Konoha, the Uchiha Castle opened its doors for the young girls of the village. Every year, when the girls reached the age of seven, the castle would take in seven girls to the village and teach them how to become a lady.

The girls would stay at the castle for three years, learning everything there was to know, in order to become the perfect wife-to-be. Yet…there was one girl that was unlike all the rest.

Every day, after her daily lessons, she would run towards the royal library, where the walls were covered with books, beyond her wildest dreams. She would run deep into the shadows of the overly large room and read every book she could get her hands on, learning everything there was to know from those books.

As the years passed, and the girls' parents came to claim them, no one came for the book reading little girl. The Queen had no idea what to do with the girl and decided to keep her in the castle as a young servant.

It didn't take her long to win the hearts of the castle staff, and they all looked out for her, while the little girl looked out for the new girls and helped them with anything and everything.

One night, while all the girls were asleep in their beds, the little girl was up staring at the black shadows in the room. She couldn't go to sleep; her mind was too busy dreaming about the world outside. _'I wonder what is on the other side of those gates…' _She thought with a sigh as she heard a bang come from the hallway. _'What was that?' _She thought with alarm as she jumped to her feet and nimbly walked around the other girls' beds towards the door.

As she kneeled down on the hard marble floor, she cracked open the door, only to see two Lords standing in the middle of the hallway. The Lord on the left had a white undershirt with puffed up sleeves and a blue vest over the white long-sleeved shirt. Around his waist held a beautiful sword with its handle decorated with rubies, emeralds, and sapphires in an elegant design. The other Lord also had a white undershirt with puffed up sleeves, but his vest was the color black. He also held an exquisite sword around his waist; which was covered in diamonds, sapphires, and rubies outlining designs all the way down the sheath.

Her emerald eyes watched the Lord, with the blue colored vest, stare at the black vested man with impatience. "Did you get the scroll?" He asked with a growl.

The other Lord rolled his eyes at his impatient partner. "Yes it's right here." He said.

The impatient Lord covered the man's mouth and backed him up against a wall. "Keep your voice down you fool. If anyone knows we have the General's tactics they will hang us for sure." He whispered harshly.

The Lord against the wall ripped the other males hand off his mouth and glared at him. "Don't you think I know that?!" He growled out as the man on top of him backed away.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Give it to me." The blue vested man ordered as he stuck out his hand in a greedy manner.

The other Lord slowly reached deep into his black vest and pulled out a scroll tied with a red string around it. His partner's eyes went as wide as saucers as he reached over to it and tried to grab it out of the man's hands, but he swiftly retreated it back to his side. With a sly smile the blue vested man chuckled lowly at the other man's actions. "You don't trust me, do you?" He said with the sly smile still in place. No one trusted anyone during these dark times.

"No I don't." The other said with a shake of the head. "If we are going to deliver this scroll to Orochimaru, then we will do it together." He said. _'There is no way you are going to get all the credit yourself.'_

The little girl gasped at the older man's statement, never in her young life, had she heard of anyone daring to go against their King. He was the strongest, and scariest man, she had ever seen. Once she heard her gasp leave her mouth, she watched as the two Lords turned towards the door, she felt her heart beat faster as she covered her mouth with her hands hoping that they didn't hear her, but unfortunately her doubtful thinking didn't work.

"What was that?" Said the both of them, in a startled manner, as they looked over to the door only to see emerald eyes blinking back at them. "Get them!" Said the blue vested man as the other reached into the shadows and pulled out the girl and backed her against a wall.

"How much do you think she heard?" Said the one holding her against the wall.

The other Lord knelt down to the girl's height, eyeing her up and down. "Who cares if she did or didn't hear the whole conversation, we can't take that chance…" He stopped mid-sentence as he caught sight of her hair. "…well look at this…" He said as he pointed to her hair.

"She has….pink hair?" Said the black vested man as he stared at the girl with a confused look. "No wonder she's locked up in here, no boy would want pink haired babies running around." He said with an evil snicker.

The little girl's eyes went wide. _'Is this why I am stuck in this castle…?' _She thought as she stared down at her shoulder-length and felt a tear slide down her cheek. _'…because I have pink hair?' _

Her attention was brought back when the other man slapped the black vested man on the back of the head. "You blubbering idiot, let's just kill her already, we can't have her repeating what she heard. Kids have a way of doing that." He said as he shook his head from side-to-side, ashamed of his partners stupidity.

The girl felt the color drain from her face as she watched her life flash before her eyes. _'No! I am not going to die from these two!' _She looked back and forth between the two men. As her eyes skimmed over the scroll in the man's hands a light bulb went off in her head. _'That's it!' _She thought eagerly.

"Hey! Don't call me an idiot! You're the bastard!" The one holding the girl shouted as his hold on her loosened.

The girl took this opportunity to wiggle out of the preoccupied man's hands and grabbed the scroll from his hand. Before she knew it, the two Lords were yelling at her and chasing her around the sleeping castle. It amazed her that no one woke up with their loud pounding footsteps echoing down the hallways.

"Get that scroll!" The blue vested man shouted as they began to chase her around the castle. His idea of being as stealthy as a cat flew out the window.

She ran as fast as she could, taking the two Lords through every twist and turn the castle had to offer, trying to loose them but nothing was working. As she turned into a backroom she stared at the oak door with bright eyes. _'This might be my ticket out of here!' _She thought, in a rush, as she grasped the brass doorknob in-between her hand and squeezed it, but her actions froze, as she heard two sets of footsteps stop right behind her.

"Don't you dare think about it little girl." One of them said as the tension in the air thickened.

The girl took a deep breath; it was now or never, so she grasped the doorknob and flung open the door, running as fast as her feet could carry her, not daring to look back.

"Why you little bitch!" She heard one lord shout, but his voice became quieter as she ran further away. The other male held him back and shook his head. "Don't worry about her, either the guards will kill her or…" He looked up at the peaceful night sky as it started to rumble, making the whole earth shake underneath his feet. "…the storm will kill her. Let's get back inside before someone suspects something." He finished as he dragged the other by the collar and slammed the door shut.

The girl ran across the long grassy plain as she felt a few raindrops fall onto her nose, she glanced up at the sky for only a second, and continued to run towards the large iron gates that surrounded the giant castle. Right as the rain started to pour from the rumbling sky, it was greeted with bolts of light flying through the sky, lighting up the way for the girl to find her away around the castle grounds. Right as she thought she was safe from any harm she heard something whiz right past her.

She glanced down to the side and noticed a sharp arrow just a few inches where she once stood. It didn't take her long to figure out the guards where firing at her, thinking she was an enemy wandering around the castle, taking a deep breath she ran faster than she ever thought she could. The faster she ran, the more arrows that came flying towards her, she wouldn't let anything stop her from escaping.

As she ran across the field, she took the scroll and placed it inside her clothing for safe keeping. Before she knew it an arrow sliced through her arm causing red blood to slowly trickle down her arm. She couldn't dwell on the cool liquid dripping down her arm, for she was coming up on the back passageway that didn't have as much of a deep fortress around the castle.

The arrows came souring towards her faster than before. She couldn't dodge them as well as she did before, causing her to be stabbed in the shoulder with an arrow, but she couldn't think about the growing pain that filled her whole arm, and she climbed up the Iron Gate. She used every ounce of will power to continue climbing the Iron Gate, she didn't know how she got over the gate without getting hit with more arrows, but she thanked the Gods and continued to run deep into the woods.

The frightened, yet head strong, girl continued to run through the dark gloomy forest until she got to the top of a hill, where she was looking down at the sleeping village. Her emerald eyes scanned the scene for any homes that looked like anyone was awake inside. Her eyes went wide ,with excitement, as she saw a light shinning in the doorway of a home in front of her. _'I hope someone is awake.' _She thought as she ran down the hill towards the home, unfortunately, the downpour caused the grass to be very slippery and instead of running down the hill, she went sliding down it.

Meanwhile, a man was sitting by the window, watching the rain come hammering down on his home. _'The storm is growing worse…' _He thought as the thunder caused his whole house to rumble as the lightning lit up the whole sky, making the lightning streak visible. From the corner of his eye he caught a flash of pink flying down towards his back door. _'What was that?' _He thought to himself, as he heard a thump at his backdoor, jumping off the windowsill running towards his backdoor.

What he saw made him jump out of his skin. A girl was on the ground, bloods flowing from her wounds, and as he knelt down in the mud he saw that she was unconscious. He looked around and couldn't find anyone that could of dropped her off at his doorstep, so he scooped up the wet child in his arms and brought her into his home.

"You poor child…" He said out loud as he carried her wet body into his room and laid her down on the bed. "Who would let a child roam the streets this late at night…and in a middle of a storm?" He asked himself as he patched up her wounds and got her out of the wet clothes. He then slipped a dry shirt on the girl.

After her wounds were covered he collected her wet cloths off the floor and was on his way towards the kitchen. As he walked towards the kitchen to wash her cloths, he heard something hit the ground with a hollow thud; he brought the cloths to the kitchen counter and ran back into the room to pick up the scroll.

"What's this?" He asked, as he pulled the string apart and watched as the scroll rolled out before him, revealing all its secret contexts. "How did you…?" He thought with astonishment as he stared at the unconscious girl on his bed. His attention was brought back to the scroll as he rolled it up and tucked it into his clothing. "Looks like I will have to inform them of this…" He said as he took out a piece of paper and began to write a letter, when he finished he took out his trusty hawk and tied the letter to his talon. "You know what to do." He told the bird as he stroked his head and released the hawk into the stormy sky.

He walked back into his bedroom and stared at the child with sad eyes. "What happened to you?" He asked as he reached over to the candle, which was the main source of light, and blew it out. "Looks like my questions will have to wait till tomorrow." He said as he tucked her into bed and shut the door behind him as he got ready for bed.

The next morning the sun was shinning brightly in the sky, causing its rays to be brought into the room where the girl was fast asleep. She wiggled around in the bed, trying to block out the suns bright light, only to find herself already too awake to go back to sleep. With a groan, her pink head popped out from under the covers and petite hands rubbed little eyes, whipping away the sleep from her eyes. As emerald eyes opened up she sprung up to a sitting position and looked around the room. _'This isn't my room…' _She thought to herself as all the events from last night came back to her. All the stress from last night caused her to break and tears started to fly down her face.

The kind man from last night heard her light crying and ran towards his room with alarm as he opened the door he watched the girl, with sorrow stricken eyes, as she cried. He walked very gingerly towards her and sat next to her. "Don't cry little one." He said softly as he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

The girl followed the hand to its owner and looked deep into the kind man's eyes, and for some reason, she felt some of her sadness wash away. "W-Who are y-you?" She stuttered as she whipped her tears away.

The man smiled brightly towards the girl. "My name is Iruka Umino, and what is your name?" He asked gently.

The girl stared at him with wide emerald eyes, no one ever asked for her name, except the servants in the castle, but she gave him her name anyways. "My name is Sakura Haruno." She said with a straight face.

"Well it is nice to meet you Sakura-Chan." He said with a smile, causing the girl to flash him a timid smile right back. Before he could say anything else, a rumble was heard through the room, causing the girl to blush as red as a tomato. "Well let's get you some food, shall we?" He said as he got off the bed and waited for Sakura to do the same.

Sakura followed him into the kitchen and while he sat her down at the small wooden table, she couldn't help but observe her kind host as he grabbed food from the cabinets. He wore a leather short-sleeves shirt and leather shorts with ankle high boots. As she looked more closely at him, his charcoal eyes held easiness and warmth, and his high ponytail bounced around with a soft sway. When he turned around to grab something out of the cabinet, she noticed a long slash across his nose. _'I wonder what happened…' _She thought but looked away from him as he came towards the table and plopped down a plate with a few pieces of goose and some red circles, with green stems sticking out of the top of them, in front of her.

"What is this?" Sakura asked as she picked up the red thing by the stem.

Iruka looked at the girl with a confused stare. "You don't know what cherries are?" He asked.

Sakura shook her head and twirled the cherry by the stem. "Anko-San never makes food that grows out of the ground; she says that the King and Queen don't eat anything that grows out of the grounds, they are for the peasants to eat." Sakura finished as she held the cherry up to her nose and sniffed it.

Iruka nodded his head as her statement answered his unasked question. _'So she works at the castle then…but she couldn't possibly be part of the girls that enter the castle for education…she looks too old normally the girls leave the castle around the age of 10…'_

He held back his question as he watched her gingerly place the cherry in her mouth and started to chew it. Her eyes grew wide and a smile washed across her face. "These are amazing Iruka-San!" She said happily as she separated her cherries from the goose, and engulfed the whole goose into her mouth, then returned back to the pile of cherries on her plate.

He felt a sweat drop start to form on the back of his head as he watched the girl display very unladylike manners as she shoved the food down her throat. "It's like you have never eaten in your life before Sakura-Chan." Iruka said with a chuckle.

Sakura shook her head from side-to-side. "No I do. I just have to wait after all the other girls eat…" She said solemnly as flashbacks floated in her mind to when the Queen told her because she was staying at the castle longer than others, she needed to let the others have their fair share first, then she could eat whatever was left.

Iruka hated to see the look of sadness on the girls face; it didn't fit, so he dropped the subject all together. "Do you want some more cherries Sakura-Chan?" He asked as he received an over enthused nod.

"Here you go Sakura-Chan." He said with a smile as he placed the plate with a few more cherries down in front of her. He waited until she plopped a few more cherries in her mouth before he started up his questioning again. "Sakura-Chan…how long have you been in the castle, you seem a little older than the other girls that go to the castle." He asked gently.

Sakura swallowed the cherry and continued to grab another as she started to answer his question. "Well, I have been at the castle for five years…" She started as she chewed the cherry and swallowed it. "The first three years I was there, Queen Uchiha took me and a few others under her wing…but when the time came for our parents to take us home…no one came for me." His mood started to fall again but she continued on. "…when no one claimed me, Queen Uchiha told me I could stay another year and help around the castle, doing different jobs than the other girls that were coming into the castle." A sad sigh escaped her lips as memories floated back to her, but her explanation was cut short from a knock at the door.

"Iruka, you skinny bastard, open this door!" Yelled someone on the other side of it.

Iruka shook his head and casually walked over to the door, while Sakura was shaking with fear. _'How did they find me?!' _Sakura thought with worry as she bolted towards the door and hid behind it. She watched through the crack near the hinges of the door as a man with puffy white hair and a woman with long yellow hair came into the room.

"Great to see you too Jiraiya." Iruka said with a small smile.

The blonde lady walked out from behind Jiraiya and glared at Iruka. "We got your letter Iruka, and it better be good." She said in a strict manner as she crossed her arms, causing her big bust to bind against the leather bindings around her top half of her body.

Iruka nodded his head urgently as he reached into his leather shirt and pulled out the scroll Sakura had stolen from the Lords the night before. Sakura watched Iruka pull out the scroll with wide eyes. _'How did he get that…?!' _She thought in a panic. _'This is it! This is the end!' _She thought as she felt her legs shake with fear.

When Iruka pulled out the scroll the woman in front of him snatched it from his hands and unrolled it, causing Jiraiya to look over her shoulder in astonishment. Iruka watched as her face paled and her amber eyes shot right to him. "Where did you get this Iruka?" She demandingly asked, astounded that the always quiet Iruka actually swiped something from an enemy.

"Tsunade-Sama, I got the scroll from Sakura-Chan." He said, as his body turned towards the kitchen behind them.

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at Iruka with unreadable expressions but Tsunade was the first to break the silence. "Who is Sakura?" She asked as she eyed the way Iruka was headed.

"I'll show you, follow me." He said politely as he led them into his kitchen, only to see the girl not in the spot he left her.

"Iruka, come on, I knew you haven't gotten laid in a while, but imaginary women is just desperate." Jiraiya said as he received a sharp elbow stab from Tsunade.

Iruka shot Jiraiya a glare but returned to looking for Sakura, it didn't take him long to find her, for the door moved right as Tsunade came in two feet of it. He smiled lightly as he walked over towards the door and looked through the hole near the hinges of the door. "Come on out Sakura-Chan." He said gently as he watched her squirm in her place. "Don't worry…" He said gently. "They won't hurt you…" He finished with a reassuring smile.

It took a few moments, but Sakura eventually came out from behind the door. When she did, Sakura blushed with embarrassment, as Tsunade and Jiraiya examined the petite girl. "Iruka…" Jiraiya said with a growing chuckle. "You're telling me this runt stole the General's tactics?" Jiraiya was on the verge of laughing until Tsunade lifted her hand up to silence him.

"Shut it Jiraiya. Let the girl explain herself." Tsunade said as she stared the girl down. "Tell us Sakura, how did you get this scroll?"

Sakura side glanced at Iruka and when he flashed her a gentle smile she took a deep breath and explained what happened last night. She explained to them that the Lords were talking about a man named Orochimaru and was going to hand the scroll to him, that is, until they found her and she stole the scroll from them.

During her whole explanation, Tsunade watched the girl with calculating eyes. _'And yet this girl is still alive…there is something about her…' _Tsunade thought as the girl finished her story. "Sakura." She stated as Sakura looked up at the powerful woman.

"Y-Yes?" Sakura said timidly.

"My name is Tsunade.." Tsunade introduced herself as she pointed towards Jiraiya. "And this is Jiraiya. We thank you for finding this scroll for us, but there is one question I have to ask you." She said.

Sakura nodded her head with assertiveness. Tsunade stared at the girl with her amber eyes, hoping the girls answer was not what she thought it was. "What is your full name Sakura?"

Sakura stared at the woman with a confused expression. "Uh, my name is Sakura Haruno Tsunade-Sama." She said not sure where the woman was going with this.

Tsunade mentally twitched at the added suffix on her name, causing Jiraiya to snicker and Iruka to elbow him in the side. _'I was afraid she would say that.' _She said as she turned towards Iruka. "Iruka come with me, I have to discuss something with you." She said as she turned towards Jiraiya. "You stay here with Sakura." Tsunade said as she went close to his ear and whispered other instructions to him. "Try to find out any other little facts about her Jiraiya." With a nod of his head Jiraiya took Sakura to the table, letting Iruka and Tsunade go to the other room and talk.

"What is wrong Tsunade-Sama?" Iruka asked in confusion.

Tsunade sighed as she looked at the pink haired girl sit quietly next to Jiraiya. "Iruka, doesn't Sakura remind you of someone…" Tsunade asked.

Iruka looked at Sakura as she shoved a cherry in her mouth, but yet, he couldn't put his finger on who Tsunade thought she looked like. "No, I can't say that I do Tsunade-Sama."

Tsunade turned her attention back to Iruka and shook her head. "Iruka…Haruno…" Tsunade watched as Iruka's face fell to the floor. He felt his whole world come crashing down on him. "You mean….Sakura is Rin's daughter?!" Iruka shouted, causing Tsunade to cover his mouth.

"Keep your trap shut Iruka!" Tsunade growled in his ear.

Iruka looked back at the pink haired girl in his kitchen and another realization came to him. "Which means…Kakashi is her…."

Tsunade nodded her head. "Yes. Sakura is Kakashi's daughter." She said in a sad and low tone.

Iruka couldn't believe his eyes, since when did Kakashi have a daughter? He never said anything about having a daughter. "Do you think he knows he has a daughter?"

Tsunade's eyes became sad. "You know what Kakashi is like Iruka. He blocked out Rin for the longest time, that is, until she figured out what his job was. When she joined the guild as well…well I'm sure you remember that day." Tsunade said.

Iruka nodded his head. "Yeah very clearly…I don't think I have ever seen Kakashi so irritated..."

Tsunade nodded her head "Rin and him tried to keep their private life…well private. When Rin gave birth to Sakura, Kakashi was always in and out fulfilling the King's needs. It would be no surprise if he didn't even know he had one." Tsunade's voice cracked as she remembered the heart breaking news. "Around the time Sakura was of age to go to the Uchiha Castle, Rin let for a mission…" She looked at Iruka to see him also affected by her words. "And you know the rest." She said.

Iruka nodded his head. "Yes, Kakashi was so devastated that day…Rin never came back and when she was pronounced dead, Kakashi must of thought Sakura was dead too." Iruka felt his spirits lifted as a epiphany came to him. "Tsunade-Sama, we have to tell Kakashi that Sakura is alive!" Iruka shouted happily.

Tsunade was alarmed as Iruka jumped towards the kitchen, though he didn't get very far, for Tsunade grabbed him by his collar and pulled him back towards her. "Iruka, if you share this bit of information with anyone you will be punished." Tsunade said darkly letting his imagination run wild with the idea of her torturing him.

Iruka looked at the scary woman beside him. When she promised something, she delivered, there was no way he could challenge her on that. _'Besides, I don't want to end up a dead man.' _"But Tsunade-Sama he has a right to know that his daughter is alive." Iruka said, skipping topics.

Tsunade shook her head. "No, Sakura will be better off without knowing about her father." She said as she watched Sakura giggle at Jiraiya. "Besides…she's lasted this long without knowing who her father was, it won't kill her to have to wait a little longer."

Iruka shot Tsunade an unbelievable look. "How can you say that Tsunade-Sama? He has been through so much heart break, this would help him heal."

Tsunade shook her head violently at Iruka. "That is the very thing that will destroy this child Iruka. If Kakashi heard he had a daughter, he'd give her the cold shoulder to protect her from everything….besides…" Tsunade said as a smile came across her face. "I have other plans for her…" Tsunade said.

Iruka watched the older woman carefully as she walked towards the kitchen. _'What is she planning?'_

When Tsunade walked in she was greeted with Jiraiya ruffling Sakura's hair, the family gesture caused her to smile slightly. _'Besides…I think she will be a good addition to our mi-matched family.' _Tsunade shook her head and cleared her throat, making her presence known. "Hello Tsunade-Sama." Sakura said with a smile as she gave Jiraiya a wink and he flashed her a thumbs up.

Tsunade looked down at the girl and smiled a small smile right back at her. "Sakura, I have a question for you."

Iruka eyed Tsunade with caution while Jiraiya watched Sakura sway back and forth under the attention of Tsunade. _'You know…I have a gut feeling that Sakura will grow into a beautiful lady…' _His imagination got to work as he imagined puberty being very kind to Sakura as she grew, but his dirty thoughts were stopped when Iruka elbowed him in the gut.

"Don't even think about it Jiraiya." Was all he said as he watched Tsunade's master plan unfold.

Jiraiya snickered towards Iruka's bold move but continued on in his imagination world. _'This is going to give me big ideas for my new book!' _He thought deviously.

"Sakura, how sure are you that your story is accurate?" Tsunade asked with a smirk growing on her face.

Sakura raised a slim pink eye brow towards Tsunade. "I'm 100% positive Tsunade-Sama." She said proudly.

Tsunade's smirk grew. _'I knew you would say that, but just to make sure…' _"You look like a girl that reads anything and everything…am I right?"

Sakura looked down at her feet in shame, she knew reading was forbidden for women but she couldn't help it, she loved the adventures and information the books in the royal library would tell her. Now it looked like she would be paying the price for her reading. "Yes ma'am." Sakura softly said, afraid of what Tsunade would say to her.

Jiraiya and Iruka shot Tsunade a confused look, only to have her brush their look aside, and continue on with what she was trying to prove. "Why don't you tell me something you remember from any book you have read." She commanded.

Sakura's head shot up. "Uh…are you sure…?" Sakura asked confusingly.

Iruka watched as Tsunade shivered with lack of patience. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at Tsunade's lack of patience. _'You better do what she says Sakura-Chan. Tsunade-Sama is well known for her short temper.' _He thought with a low chuckle.

"Don't question me Sakura, just do what I asked." Tsunade growled out, trying not to scare the girl…just yet.

Sakura had no idea why Tsunade wanted her to recite something from any book, but she did it anyways, Tsunade was starting to look very scary. "Anything…?" Sakura took a second to think of what to say and then a random passage popped into her head. "William the conqueror (King William I of England) introduced Norman castles to England when he defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. These Norman castles gave the Normans of 1066 power bases from which they could subjugate the English population. What is a Motte and Bailey Castle? When was the first Motte and Bailey Castle built? The Motte and Bailey Castles were first built in timber and then in Stone_."_ Sakura stated in an all knowing manner.

Tsunade felt her smirk grow wide. When she turned her attention towards Jiraiya and Iruka she couldn't help but chuckle at their facial expressions. Jiraiya's mouth dropped to the floor and Iruka was speechless. As she turned her attention to Sakura, Sakura was blushing red with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." She said timidly. "I won't read ever again…" Tsunade knelt down to her level and placed her hands on Sakura's shoulders. "No Sakura…" Tsunade said with a smile. "I want you to keep reading." She said, causing Sakura to smile brightly. "Really?!" Sakura said happily, causing Tsunade to shake her head. "Yes…that is…if you would like to hear my proposal." Tsunade said, knowing full well what her answer would be.

"What is that Tsunade-Sama?" Sakura asked, causing Iruka to stare at Tsunade with intense eyes. _'Don't tell me she is…'_

"How would you like to work under me?" Tsunade said with a smile.

Sakura smiled brightly but it was soon turned into a frown. "But…what about the castle? I have to work there…"

Tsunade nodded her head. "Yes you still will be working at the castle, don't worry, but you will also be working under me." She finished, causing Sakura to nod her head excitedly.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Sakura said happily as she bowed politely towards Tsunade. "Thank you Tsunade-Sama!"

Tsunade twitched and grunted. "Well…we'll have to work on that…but for now we must go." Tsunade said as she grabbed Jiraiya and headed for the door, with Iruka and Sakura following her.

"Bye Tsunade-Sama and Jiraiya-Sama!" Sakura waved as Iruka kept her inside and shut the door.

Tsunade shook her head from side to side. "Iruka don't worry, if you have forgotten, I'm not a killer, I'll be teaching her the ways of the shadows and the secrets of the night." Tsunade said with a smirk.

Iruka shook his head from side-to-side, but before he could comment to Tsunade's statement she disappeared. He looked up towards the sun and shook his head. _'If there is a God listening, please, let me help Sakura-Chan…'_ He thought to himself as he walked back into his house and got ready to take Sakura back to the castle.

And this is how our story begins…..

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TO

BE

CONTINUED

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**Author's Notes: **I hope everyone enjoyed that first chapter! I'd love feedback on this chapter and for the record, the whole statement Sakura said about the castles was from a website called Middle Ages Castles, I'd like to give credit to them :) "."

Thank you for taking time to read the long chapter! I hope you do review!!! Please?! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** I'm very happy with the reviews I got! :) I'm surprised that many people reviewed to the first chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter and instead of placing a long thank you list at the end of the story, I will be having a thank you list in the beginning of every chapter! :)

_**Thank you:**_ Ginriku, WinterLuvNaruto, Emilx311, DevilishCats, LaberaiTashio, and TeamTHEFT

* * *

Tunnels ran underneath the Konoha Village, connecting every building with another, but if someone ever walked through them they would find out they were very long and gross.

Footsteps were heard as feet splashed along in the sewage-filled water. The person walking in the sewage made a grunt of disgust and continued on their way towards the passage they were looking for.

Once they found the passage, a secret knock was emitted through the stone door. The stone door opened in hesitation, but the person on the other side walked right through, without a second thought.

As they walked through the place where many drunken civilians were scattered across the pub. A few grown women, with their dresses hiked up to their mid-thighs, made their rounds and rubbed against every man in the place. The new person took a second to watch the horny men stick a few silver coins down the big busted women's dresses. Their attention was turned the bartenders as they slid beer down the bar to their customers, who waited eagerly, for their turns with the whores.

The new person paid no attention to the drunken men as they looked her up and down, imagining what was hidden under the black cloak. The foreigner continued up the wooden stairs, as they creaked underneath each step she made, until she reached the rotten door at the top of the steps.

The door opened with a loud creaking noise, and with a push of the door, she entered the room. She stood there, waiting for the candles to be lit, and followed the shadows along the ground with her eyes.

"You finished already?" Said a woman's voice as light began to shine in the room.

As light entered the room, the woman stared at the person before her with a calculating eye. She watched as the figure pulled out a scroll from the cloak's pocket.

"It was a piece of cake Tsunade." The voice said as the hood of the cloak was pulled down to allow her pink shoulder length hair to flow freely around her.

"As expected from my student." Tsunade said with a smile as the scroll was tossed to her. "Take a seat Sakura." She said as she kicked a chair towards her student.

Sakura smiled at her Sensei, removed her cloak, and sat down. Tsunade looked over her student and a small smirk plastered on her face, but unfortunately, Sakura's keen eyes caught the slight change.

"What are you smirking at Tsunade?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side.

Tsunade chuckled slightly as she unrolled the scroll. "You know Jiraiya will be here any moment…" She said with an underlying meaning to her words.

Sakura grunted softly, she knew what that meant. _'Every time Jiraiya comes I have to keep him back so he doesn't rape me.' _Sakura thought to herself as she giggled lightly at some of the stunts the perverted old man would try on her.

It didn't take long for the old white haired man to enter the office with a loud comment. "Whoa, Tsunade what smells in here? Did a skunk die?" He said as he came through another door adjacent to Tsunade's desk.

Sakura glared long and hard at the man as he noticed that the one that smelled was the young woman in front of Tsunade. Tsunade watched with entertainment as Jaraiya's face fell once he realized Sakura was in the room.

"Oh Sakura…" He said as he eyed her up and down. Her leather shirt clung to her, like she was its life line, making her upper body very noticeable. His eyes traveled lower as he examined her leather skirt that emphasized her curves even more. Her legs looked long and smooth, with the added two inch heel shoe; he didn't know what to do with himself! "…I didn't mean that you smelled." He said with a perverted smile.

Sakura glared at him. "I think you would smell too if you traveled through the sewers." She said as she smirked in his direction.

"You went on another mission I take it." He said as he pulled out a chair and sat very close to her.

Tsunade glared warningly towards Jiraiya before she interjected her opinion into the conversation. "Yes, we needed to figure out what Sir Leonard was up to Jiraiya." She told him with a bite to her voice, causing him to back a few feet away from Sakura. "And since Sakura works at the castle, it made the job just that much easier." Tsunade said with pride evident in her voice.

Jiraiya looked towards the blossoming woman with pride. Even though he thought she was attractive, he still felt pride swell inside when the twenty year old succeeded in her job. "Very nice job Sakura." He said.

Sakura smiled at her two mentors and bowed her head in thanks. "Thank you." She said feeling very proud of herself.

Jiraiya turned his attention back to the subject at hand. "And what did we find out about the slim ball?"

Tsunade glanced down at the scroll and shook her head from side-to-side. "He was trying to place traps in the castle, hoping to kill the King." She said with a sigh. _'Yet another assassination mission.'_

Sakura chuckled at her Sensei's statement. "But Tsunade, Sir Leonard was also telling his accomplice that they needed to secure the security around the castle, in order to sneak in Orochimaru." Sakura said adding her information from a conversation she heard once she was done crawling around in the shadows.

Tsunade nodded her head at the new information, while Jiraiya got up from his chair, causing Sakura and Tsunade to look up at him. "I will inform the King at once." Jiraiya said. "You can't have that bastard enter the castle." He said venomously as he disappeared back through the door.

Tsunade shook her head from side-to-side, but she couldn't help but agree with her partner, if Orochimaru entered the castle, there was no telling what evil he would bestow on the kingdom.

Sakura turned her attention to her mentor and gracefully got up from the chair. "I better head back too; I told Iruka that I would visit him before I went back to the castle."

Tsunade nodded her head, being pulled out of her thoughts, and rolled up the scroll. "Just don't take too long Sakura. You only have so much time before the staff members come to wake you up for your morning routines."

Sakura flashed her a smile and nodded her head. "Don't worry Tsunade, I won't take that long." She said as she exited the door that Jiraiya entered from.

Tsunade watched her student exit out the door and then turned her attention to the empty seat where the cloak still draped around it. _'She grew up so fast. It seemed like only yesterday when I first met her…' she_ sighed as she got up from her desk and picked up the cloak. _'Let's hope the King does not wish to see who my student is. So far no one has realized I have taken a student under my wing…' _She thought as she exited the old room and walked down the stairs to the bar.

She eyed the bar with excitement, as she grabbed herself a seat and began to drink away, as she watched the horny men try to seduce two women that just entered the door. _'Cheers.' _She thought to herself as she held up a shot glass and chugged it down in one big gulp. _'Might want to take a few for the road home.' _Tsunade thought as she ordered more sake to take with her to her small home.

Meanwhile, Sakura was jumping in and out of the shadows, that cascaded themselves around the sleeping town. Her observant eyes looked around the town, forming stories of what happened to destroyed homes or anything else, which was lurking around the town. Her job had thought her to be very observant with every little detail, that sometimes it gave her a headache.

It didn't take her long to travel to Iruka's home, and she was blessed, that his home was so close to the castle. She knocked on his door, very gently, and waited patiently until Iruka opened the door. His bright smile caused her to smile brightly as well. "Hello Iruka!" Sakura said as she ran into his out stretched arms and hugged him tightly.

Iruka welcomed Sakura with open arms, literally, and hugged her back. After they exchanged hugs Iruka examined Sakura intently looking for any injuries. Sakura noticed this and shook her head towards the worried male.

"Iruka, don't worry I am fine." She said with a smile as she pulled his hands off her shoulders and flashing him a reassuring smile.

Iruka only sighed at her action and guided her towards the kitchen. "I know Sakura, but that doesn't mean I still can't worry about you." He said as he went towards the counter and took out a plate and cherries.

Sakura smiled brightly as the plate of cherries were placed in front of her. "You worry too much Iruka. I swear you act like my mother sometimes." She said with a giggle, not noticing Iruka pale at her words.

'_Oh Sakura, you have no idea.' _He thought to himself as he sat down and watched her shove the cherries down her throat. "Ha, Anko still doesn't cook cherries at the castle?" He asked with a smile.

Sakura shook her head and plopped another cherry in her mouth. "No, I've tried to convince her, but she doesn't see them appealing." Sakura said.

Iruka chuckled at Sakura's impersonation of Anko. She scrunched her face up and started to spin his butter knife in-between her fingers. "No I won't make any cherries for you. They are weak and little." Sakura said in a deep voice.

Iruka shook his head as he picked up the empty plate and walked over to the cherries. _'Even at the age of 20, she still acts like a little kid at times.' _He smiled a small smile as he cleared his throat. "Sakura, do you want more?" He asked.

Sakura shook her head and jumped up to a standing position. "No Iruka, I wish I could, but I have to get back to the castle." She said as she looked out the window to see the dark sky starting to lighten up. "I have about five hours before they come to wake me up." Sakura said as she walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"Ok Sakura." Iruka said as he hugged her back and watched her sly fingers grab one last cherry. He smiled at her but shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?" He said as he walked her to the back door.

As he opened the back door Sakura gave him one last hug and before he knew it, she was gone, vanished into the shadows that covered his yard.

Sakura returned back to the castle and stealthily entered her quarters. Emerald eyes darted across the sleeping room, looking for her empty straw bed. With a sigh she flopped backwards onto the bed and before she knew it she fell asleep.

Her rest seemed short lived, for she had one of the maids, shouting in the room telling al the servants to wake up. At first Sakura didn't want to move, but after a few seconds she rose from her bed and located her servant cloths.

After getting dressed in her cloth dress, that had linen thread tied around her waist, reaching down to her knees. She grabbed her wooden sandals, which wrapped around her ankles, and ran out the door.

She walked down the quiet hallways until she heard metal banging together. She giggled softly as she followed the sound. _'Anko is at it again.' _Sakura thought as she leaned up against the door side and watched Anko get out her trusty knife and scrap off every crumb from her precious pots.

"Come off before I stab you to death!" Anko yelled as she feverously scrapped the pot until one little dried crumb came off the pot. "This is what happens when you let maggots clean your equipment!" She grumbled angrily.

Sakura let out a louder giggle this time, but stopped immediately, when Anko flashed her a death glare. "You should shut your mouth Pinky, or I'll be scrapping you instead of this pot." Anko said viciously.

Sakura only shook her head at Anko's rough remark. Most of the other servants were afraid because of Anko's aggressiveness, but Anko looked out for Sakura when she was little, making Sakura accustomed to Anko's outlook of life. Sakura walked towards the counter behind the cook and scanned the table for any food she could snag, before Anko severed the new set of girls, their food.

Her eyes stopped on a banana, it looked so delicious and yellow, that it caused Sakura's mouth to water. _'Maybe she won't notice.' _Sakura thought to herself as she cautiously grabbed the banana. Sakura looked up and watched as Anko, appeared, to still be cleaning the pots. _'Maybe I might get away with this.' _Sakura thought with a smile as she reached up to the peal the banana.

Unfortunately, Sakura didn't see it coming, all she heard was a whoosh, and before she knew it, a very sharp knife was embedded into her unpeeled banana. "Don't touch my food Sakura." Anko said in a serious tone, as she turned around to see Sakura eyeing the knife with wide eyes.

Sakura gulped and placed the food back down on the counter top. "He, he." Sakura said as she placed her hand on the back of her head and rubbed it out of embarrassment. She looked towards the door and made believe that she heard orders being called to her. "I think I hear someone calling me." Sakura said as she exited the kitchen as fast as she could.

Once Sakura exited the room, Anko shook her head and picked up the ruined banana. _'Would that girl ever listen to me?' _She thought as she walked over to the door Sakura exited only to see Sakura walking backwards down the hallway.

Anko snorted at the young woman's actions, sometimes she wondered if Sakura was really twenty, but her thoughts came to a crashing halt as she saw the Uchiha's oldest son turn the corner. _'Oh no.' She_ thought in horror as the oblivious Sakura continued to walk down the hall backwards. _'Turn around Pinky!' _Anko yelled to her through her mind as she watched the soon-to-be collision.

The oldest Prince Uchiha was a very intimidating person. He was always quiet but when he spoke, everyone would listen to him. Other kingdoms envied the Prince for his high intelligence, and his known record with having the largest fan club in the world. Every Princess would sign up for every ball Konoha would throw, making some of the King's most trusted warriors, make sure the Princesses didn't kill his oldest son.

At the moment, he was very annoyed at his family, this was the third time this week they arranged him to stand by his father's side during one of the boring and pointless meetings, but he dare not show it. As he walked down the hall he watched as one of the servants was walking backwards down the hall. The girl didn't look like she even noticed his presence as she neared him, desperately looking for entertainment; he stopped dead in his tracks, waiting for the woman to bump into him.

His charcoal eyes narrowed as the woman showed no signs of turning around anytime soon, he also noticed, that one of the cooks was watching the scene as well. This would add to his amusement, after the woman would bump into him, he'd make her wish she never did.

Sakura sighed in relief as she got out of Anko's clutches. It was never a good idea to annoy the knife obsessed cook, especially this early in the morning, so she continued to walk backwards out of the door and down the hall, there was no way she would let Anko throw a sharp knife past her head.

Right as she walked down the hall, she heard very light footsteps walk across the marble title. _'Hm, I wonder who it is…' _Sakura thought with a hidden smirk. _'Let's test out my skills…' _She told herself as she began to test herself, to see when the last possible second, that she could evade them is. To her excitement, the person stopped dead in their tracks, which was even better. _'Let's see if that book was actually useful.' _Sakura thought as she continued to walk backwards.

The Prince watched the girl as she came closer towards him. Right as the girl was close enough to back up into him, she outstretched her right foot, with much elegance and balance, and she twirled around on the ball of her foot.

When Sakura felt her body facing the person she "almost" bumped into, she came face to face with the Prince himself, someone she was not expecting to be playing around with.

Emerald met narrowing charcoal eyes as the two people stood in the middle of the hallway. Anko bit her lip in anticipation; she could only imagine what the loud mouth woman would do. Sakura glared right back at the Prince and watched as his eyes intensified, but they didn't get any narrower, it was one of those characteristics she had heard about. He had the power to change his demeanor with the littlest movement, but that didn't scare Sakura.

"Sorry your highness." Sakura said as she held eye contact with him. "But you really need to watch where you are walking when you are coming from the cook's kitchen." Sakura said as she watched his eyes widen, ever so slightly.

The Prince stared at the servant with uncertainty. A servant never glared at him, never even suggested that he should watch where he was going, and certainly never stared him dead in the eyes. _'Who is this woman?' _He thought as he studied her form. Her eyes were unmistakable, that was for certain, but her hair…since when did people have pink hair?

Sakura watched him profile her, even though his eyes didn't move, and she was getting annoyed. Spending so much time with her Sensei made her just as temperamental as her. She knew she wasn't allowed to cross the boundary she was about to cross, but when did she not break the rules? "You know it's rude to stare." Sakura said with a bite in her voice, causing Anko to smack her forehead and the Prince to glare at her.

"Do you know who you're talking to?" The Prince said in a deadly tone, hoping to rattle the servant down to nothing but pudding.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura was taught at a early age to not be rattled by such things. She smiled wickedly at him and turned her back towards him, knowing full well, the upper class hated that. She looked over her shoulder and watched his body twitch, slightly, at her actions. "Yes I know who you are, Prince Uchiha, but you need to earn respect." Sakura said as she growled out the last part. "You don't give it." She said as she walked down the hall away from him.

His narrowed eyes watched the woman's back, as her pink hair swayed in the way of her walk, out of sight. As soon as her presence was gone, his glare turned to nothing, and he continued walking the way he was originally going. _'Who is that servant?' _He thought to himself. _'I've never seen a pink haired servant around here…' _His thought paused as he felt the cook's eyes on him. He turned towards the older woman that held a menacing looking knife in her hand.

The servant's words came back to him, as he looked inside the kitchen with a single glance, today may have started out frustrating but this new servant, that defies all the rules, brought him some excitement for once. With a shake of his head, he headed towards the meeting room, where his mother, father, and Jiraiya were waiting.

Jiraiya, King Fugaku, and Queen Mikoto waited in the room for the Prince to arrive. The large oak door opened to reveal the sonic Prince walking towards them. Queen Mikoto tapped the seat next to her and everyone waited patiently for him to sit down before the meeting started.

Fugaku looked towards the older male and cleared his throat. "You sounded very urgent Jiraiya. What is it?"

Jiraiya stood very presentably as he delivered his news. "As you know, Tsunade and I were tracking down a traitor that roamed your castle walls…" Jiraiya stopped to make sure the Royal family understood his train of thought so far.

"And…?" Fugaku said impatiently as he waved Jiraiya on.

"We have found the traitor and also figured out his intentions." Jiraiya said.

"All in four days?" Mikoto asked quietly, it never occurred to her that their spy unit acquired information so quickly.

Fugaku nodded his head in agreement; their spy unit was obtaining information very fast the last couple of years, and something had to be different. "Jiraiya, how were you able to find this out so quickly? It wasn't until a couple years ago, that it took your department at least seven sun rises to find out information."

Jiraiya felt a gulp rise to his throat, so they were catching on, now was the perfect time to have Tsunade explain it all. "Would you like Tsunade to explain it you fully?" Jiraiya asked with a bow.

Fugaku nodded his head and clapped his hands, in seconds one of his top warriors appeared. Jiraiya stared at the tall silver haired man with a smile. "Long time no see Kakashi."

The silver haired man flashed Jiraiya a eye crease as his attention was brought back to, the ever famous, bright orange book in his hands. "Like wise Jiraiya." He said as he turned towards Fugaku. "Is there something I can do Fugaku?" Kakashi asked.

Fugaku looked down at his most trusted warrior and nodded his head. "Yes, get Tsunade over here as fast as you can." He ordered.

In a flash Kakashi was gone and it didn't take long until Tsunade was front and center in front of everyone. She looked at the King and bowed. "What do I owe the honor of being here your highness?" Tsunade asked.

"Jiraiya has announced that you already found the traitor, how did you find him so quickly?" He asked as his black eyes turned a tint of red, waiting for the woman's answer.

Tsunade was afraid of this but revealed nothing. "Oh my Lord, it is just me having some extra help." She worded vaguely.

Itachi watched the well known blonde in front of him. "You have a apprentice." He simply stated causing the attention to be shifted on him.

Tsunade nodded her head like it was no big deal. "Yes, Prince Itachi, you have that right." Tsunade said, praying to the Gods, they didn't want to see her.

"I never thought you'd be one that would take an apprentice in." Kakashi mumbled to her.

Tsunade ignored his comment and watched the King's movements. "And why haven't we seen him?" He asked causing Tsunade to twitch. _'Apparently there is no God that likes me.' _She thought to herself.

But before Tsunade could say anything Queen Mikoto rang a bell and right as the door opened, she never thought her day could get any worse…..

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TO

BE

CONTINUED!

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_**Author's Note:**_ Sorry everyone but I had to keep you on a cliff hanger, if I didn't I swear to god this chapter would have been 20 pages long. Good for you, but bad for me, my hands would die! :)

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and PLEASE REVIEW!!! It lets me know what to change and what you liked or didn't like about the chapter!

Thanks for reading! :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry for my late posting, you see, this past weekend has kept me from writing and when I had time to write, I wrote something else. So please don't all throw tomatoes at me at once, I know I should have updated…but please…take this new chapter as forgiveness present! :)

Dedicated to: LaberaiTashio, anonymous, TeamTHEFT, and shadow miko

* * *

The meeting room stayed quiet as the big oak doors opened up, to reveal, Sakura walking to the front of the room. She bowed deeply towards Mikoto and waited for instructions to be given.

Jiraiya and Kakashi watched as the pink haired woman bowed respectfully towards the Queen. Kakashi seemed indifferent towards the young woman, while Jiraiya couldn't help but shake his head at Sakura's attire. _'Seems like those servant cloths do you no justice Sakura.' _He thought to himself as he returned his attention to Tsunade and the King.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the servant that entered the room, here she was again, but this time she was a completely different woman. She was obedient and showed no sign of defiance. He stared at her intently, wondering how this new side of the woman, would act.

Tsunade didn't look at Sakura when she entered the room; she was more worried with the King's demand, at the moment. "Your highness…" Tsunade said as she watched him stare her down.

"What is it Tsunade?" He asked her impatiently.

"I don't think you want to see my apprentice at the moment." Tsunade explained as she felt his eyes glare down at her.

"What do you mean Tsunade?" He growled out.

Jiraiya turned his attention to the fumbling woman on the side of him. _'What is Tsunade doing?' _He asked himself.

"You see your highness…my apprentice has been on this mission ever since we received word about Lord Leonard's actions. They need their rest." Tsunade exclaimed, trying to get out of presenting her apprentice to the King.

Sakura stared dumbfounded at her mentor. _'Oh yeah, getting rest my ass, I've been sleep deprived for over two weeks because of that jack-ass. Yeah, I need rest all right...' _Sakura thought angrily as she trained her eyes to the floor.

Fugaku shook his head from side-to-side at Tsunade. "I don't care Tsunade. I want to know in full detail from the primary source." He stated in a powerful manner, leaving Tsunade, unable to argue any further with him.

She bowed her head towards the King and nodded her head. "Yes your highness." She told him.

Mikoto looked towards her most trusted servant and stood up from her thrown. "Take Tsunade to the entrance closest to the west side of the castle. Wait for her to come back and bring her back here." Mikoto ordered Sakura.

Sakura bowed deeply towards the Queen. "Yes Queen Uchiha." Sakura stated unemotionally as she lead Tsunade to the double doors behind her.

Sakura pretended that she didn't notice the Prince's glaze follow her out the door. _'I guess I still rattled him.' _Sakura thought with a smirk as she closed the doors behind her.

Jiraiya watched the exchange between Sakura and Mikoto, only to notice Itachi watching Sakura's receding back. He noticed the way the older Prince examined Sakura when she spoke, but he chose to say nothing. _'I'll have to dig deeper into this subject later.' _He thought.

Meanwhile, once Sakura and Tsunade made their way out of the meeting room, Sakura turned around sharply and glared at her mentor. "What was that all about?" Sakura growled out.

Tsunade sighed and shook her head. "It was the best I could come up with Sakura. I don't want him to meet you anymore than you wanting to meet him."

Sakura huffed and continued to walk down the empty hallways. "Well, unfortunately for me, I've already met the bastard. He treats all us servants like scum he scuffled around on the ground." Sakura said furiously as they reached the west-side exit of the castle.

"You'll just have to ignore that when you present him the news about what you have found out." Tsunade said with a sigh as Sakura opened the iron door.

The both of them walked outside of the castle and proceeded to find a hiding spot for Sakura to get dressed in. While Tsunade sent Sakura to change behind a tree, she couldn't help but bring up something she noticed during the meeting.

"What did you do Sakura?" Tsunade asked as she heard cloths being thrown down on the ground.

"What are you talking about Tsunade?" Sakura asked as she slides on her leather skirt and black wrap around heels.

Tsunade snorted at her student. "Don't think I didn't notice. I have taught you everything you know."

"What did you notice Tsunade?" Sakura asked as she threw on her leather tank top and emerged from the behind the tree, only to see her mentor smirking in her direction.

"You did something to Itachi…now spill it. What did you do?" She asked with a twinkle in her amber eyes, it took a lot to spark the oldest son's attention.

Sakura chuckled at the memory of rattling the older Prince, it was quite comical to watch his subtle emotion changes, when she didn't display proper edict to the royal Prince. "Nothing happened Tsunade; I just acted like myself, and not of an obedient servant." Sakura simply exclaimed.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at her stubborn student. "Sakura, you didn't…."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders as they continued to walk back to the castle. "What? What did you want me to do? Let him walk all over me? At least with him I can say what I want, if I did that with Fugaku, I'd end up with thirty lashes easily." Sakura explained as she placed her cloak's hood up as they entered into the castle.

Tsunade shook her head towards her student. _'Only Sakura would be bold enough to challenge Itachi.' _She shook her head in pity for her student. "You know there is no telling what Itachi will do now that you have caught his attention."

Sakura chuckled lightly. "Don't worry Tsunade, its simple." Sakura said as she walked her mentor stare at her in suspicion.

"And what would that be?"

Sakura smirked underneath her hood, even though Tsunade couldn't see it, she had a strong feeling of what her student was planning. "I just avoid him." She told Tsunade. "It shouldn't be that hard, considering, hiding is what I do for a living."

Tsunade shook her head as a smile graced her lips. _'It's amazing how much Sakura has grown over the past nine years.'_

Their conversation seized as soon as the two of them came to the double oak doors that awaited their fate. Tsunade grasped the iron handle and took a deep breath. "Whatever you do, do not backtalk the King." Tsunade said in a warning tone before she pushed open the doors.

Sakura felt a shiver run up her spine, between the King's punishment and Tsunade's punishment; she knew Tsunade's was a lot more painful. _'Besides no one wants to be on Tsunade's bad side.' _Sakura thought before she stepped into the meeting room.

Fugaku watched as Tsunade and a cloaked figure walked through the doors. As his black eyes roamed the apprentice, their build seemed too small to be a male. _'Must be some malnourished little squirt.' _He thought to himself as his wife and son examined the same person both with different assumptions.

Itachi narrowed his eyes toward the new person in the room. They didn't hold themselves like most royalty members he has meet. Yet, their built did not match up with that of a man. _'They are either a young child or a woman…though I can't imagine a woman doing the dark works of a spy…' _Itachi thought.

Mikoto stared at the person standing near Tsunade and couldn't help but stare in pity at the person. _'They probably have no family, hence why they turned to Tsunade's teaching, but a spy's life is anything but glamorous. Normally they are trained in ways I would never want to imagine. It must be a hard life living in fear of someone finding out your identity.'_

Tsunade and Sakura bowed deeply towards the royal family. "My lord, I present to you, my apprentice." Tsunade said as she backed up, leaving Sakura to stand alone.

Sakura stared intently towards the King as he eyed her up and down. _'Hold your tongue Sakura; it wouldn't do to have you make a scene.' _Sakura told herself as she waited for him to say something.

Jiraiya watched as Tsunade returned to standing next to him and Kakashi. "I see you got them to come down here." Jiraiya said with a smirk.

Tsunade nodded her head. "Let's hope their mouth doesn't speak on its own." Tsunade said.

Kakashi felt a chuckle escape his lips. "They have a few of your characteristics, huh Tsunade?" He asked as he placed his book away. _'Tsunade having an apprentice is a twist of events. I wonder what made her take in an apprentice.'_

"Tell me everything you know about Leonard's plan to kill me." Fugaku demanded.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the old man, since no one could see her facial expressions; she could make all kind of faces she wanted at the man. "What kind of version do you want? The short and sweet one or the long and boring one?" Sakura sarcastically asked the King.

Tsunade slapped her forehead with her hand, Jiraiya smirked at Sakura's smart comment, Kakashi raised a brow towards the comment, Mikoto covered her mouth with her hands, and Itachi also rose an eyebrow towards the comment, while his father smirked towards the person's direction. "So you have a sense of humor." Fugaku said as he walked down from his thrown, having his family do the same. "I'll take the short version." He said, as he stared down the person.

Sakura titled her head and sighed. "As you wish." She said as she started to walk around the royal family, much to Tsunade's dismay. "Leonard has been planning for a couple months to sneak in a man known as Orochimaru…" Sakura watched as the Prince and King exchanged meaningful glances at each other. _'So they are enemies with the freak as well...' _Sakura thought to herself as she stored that bit of information into her memory.

"Go on…" Fugaku exclaimed.

"They want to sneak the man in, so that way he can make several traps in order to kill you." Sakura stated bluntly.

"You don't beat around the bush." Fugaku side commented as he nodded his head at her words. "When and where is going to make his appearance?"

Sakura looked around the room, only to see some man with tall white hair expecting her to slip up on her dead accurate information. She shook her head at him and returned her attention to the impatient King. "He is expected to beak into your castle through the East lecture hall, through the Knight's quarters, and meet Leonard in the North wings servant's room. Although they have no figured out when he will come, they are planning to bring him here either after your annual ballroom dance, or before it." Sakura explained.

Fugaku looked at the lad with an unbelievable stare. The lad did not falter once over the information he was giving. Itachi didn't show any emotion to the person in the cloak, they knew their castle too well. This gave him a reason to be on edge, spies were taught to read deep into everyone's movements, small or big. _'I wouldn't be surprised if he was surveying everyone's moves during this whole meeting.'_

Mikoto stared at the person with undermost shock. "How come you know our castle so well?" She asked.

Sakura looked up at her leader and couldn't help but smile. Sakura allowed herself to release a soft chuckle. "Do you think I'd infiltrate a castle without studying the layout of it first? I know this castle like I know the back of my hand." She stated proudly.

"How accurate is your theory?" Kakashi asked, causing everyone to turn to him. "If I have to station my men at these spots I want to make sure it's accurate." He said as he narrowed his eyes towards the cloaked person.

Jiraiya and Tsunade watched Sakura turn towards Kakashi; they only prayed to the Gods, Sakura wouldn't do anything stupid. It was one thing for Sakura to be sarcastic, but it was another to talkback to the King's most trusted assassin.

"Accurate enough that I stake my life on it." Sakura determinedly stated as she glared at the older man.

Kakashi stared deeply at the "boy" in front of him. There was something about the boy that reminded him of himself when he was younger. "You just did." Kakashi said as he turned back to his quiet self.

The King looked at Tsunade's apprentice and continued on. "Kakashi, make sure we do not increase our security during the ball. If what the lad says is true, we have to make it look like we do not expect anything."

Kakashi stared at the King and nodded his head. "But how do you expect us to protect you?"

The King placed his hand on Itachi and pushed him forward. "You will polish up Itachi's skills until the day of the ball." He ordered Kakashi.

Kakashi bowed down to the King and nodded his head. "As you wish Fugaku."

Fugaku turned towards Tsunade and Jiraiya. "Keep a close eye on Leonard, if he makes any movements I want to know about it…"

Sakura couldn't stand the way he was barking out orders at everyone. _'Another reason why I hate his leadership tactics…' _"What about me?" Sakura demanded causing everyone to look at her with confusion, there was no way she was going to sit out on this mission. _'I've been working on this for too long to not be given a task to do.' _Sakura thought angrily.

"What about you?" Fugaku growled out angrily, the spy served his purpose, now he could leave. "You served your purpose. Leave."

Sakura glared at the pompous King. She grinded her teeth together, in anger, ready to lunge at the King. She could tell that the man named Kakashi thought she would do something, for he stood in front of the King, just a precaution incase she did anything. "This is why the "peasant" side, as you would call it, look down on you King." Sakura growled out, causing him and everyone else to stare at her in disbelief. "You think everyone should listen to your every command…" Sakura watched as the King's fists clenched in anger, causing her to smirk. _'Good. He needs to know the truth.' _"…you need to prove to them that they need to listen to you." Sakura finished her ranting as she turned her back and made her way to the door.

"Where do you think you are going?!" Fugaku shouted in anger. _'How dare that inferior boy think he can turn his back on me after his vile accusations towards me!' _

Sakura turned around and stared at the King. "I'm doing what you ordered me to do…" Sakura told him, as she twirled around again, her back facing him. "I'm leaving." And with that, Sakura exited the room, leaving an infuriated King, a confused mentor and a very curious Prince and assassin.

Tsunade turned towards the flaming King and bowed deeply. "Please excuse my apprentice your highness. Sometimes their mouth has a mind of its own."

Jiraiya chuckled at Tsunade's statement. "Unfortunately a little too much." He said, trying to lighten up the mood.

Fugaku turned around and walked back to his seat, masking his anger, as he proceeded to calm himself down. Mikoto looked at Tsunade with the confusion. "Where did you find such an apprentice Tsunade? I always thought you had a good judge of character." Mikoto stated.

Kakashi nodded his head. "Yeah Tsunade, what's the story with that one?" He asked, very curious at how the spy was able to gather enough courage to bash their King.

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, in question, as Tsunade ignored his stare. "They have had a rocky past Mikoto-San."

"How rocky?" Mikoto asked curiously, but didn't get an answer, for her oldest son stepped forward and interjected into the conversation.

"That doesn't give them an excuse." Itachi stated blankly, hoping this meeting would be done soon.

Jiraiya nodded his head at the Prince. "You're right Itachi, but they are good at what they do." Jiraiya said, trying not to reveal anything about Sakura.

"Doesn't matter." Fugaku interrupted. "You all have your jobs. You're dismissed." He told them all, as he sunk down into his chair, thinking about the words of the spy. Everyone in the room didn't need to be told twice to leave and they exited the room, not looking back.

"Don't think about it Fugaku." Mikoto said as she approached her husband and sat down next to him.

Fugaku placed his hands on his temples and slowly massaged them. "That is no ordinary spy." Fugaku exclaimed. _'I need to find out everything I can about that spy.' _"Itachi." Fugaku called out as his oldest son stood in front of him. "Find out anything you can about that spy. Ask around the castle, ask those who were here during the meeting. I want to find out everything about him."

Itachi nodded his head, not ignoring that fact that the task given, would be a challenge. _'A spy is taught at an early age to cover up any personal track they may have.' _Itachi thought as he exited the room and made his way towards the training grounds. _'Making them live a lonely life.' _Itachi told himself.

Meanwhile, Tsunade and Jiraiya were trying to find where Sakura flittered off too. After the fiasco in the meeting room, they could only imagine what Sakura was doing to blow some steam off.

"Can you believe she said that to Fugaku?!" Jiraiya exclaimed as they ran around the castle hallways looking into every shadow.

Tsunade shook her head as her annoyed amber eyes scanned the hallway. "Yes I can believe it Jiraiya. Sakura has a mind of her own, she's lucky that she didn't say that when she was a servant, she would be dead by now."

Jiraiya nodded his head. "Yeah you're right, but still, I'm glad that she stuck up for herself."

"Even if it means belittling her King?" Interjected a new voice, causing Jiraiya and Tsunade to freeze in their spots, they turned around only to see Kakashi.

"Kakashi! What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, hoping to God he didn't hear much of their conversation.

"I'm not training Itachi till tomorrow and I was just rooming the halls until I heard you and Jiraiya talking about how the spy stuck up for himself, which got me curious." Kakashi simply stated.

Jiraiya gave Tsunade a thank-the-lords look and flashed him a smirk. "Oh really Kakashi? How so?"

Kakashi nodded his head. "What is the story about your apprentice Tsunade? I've got to say I've never seen a lad quite like him before."

Tsunade shot a smile towards the curious man. "He is unique isn't he?" Tsunade asked.

Kakashi nodded his head. "Yes he is. I was thinking about dragging him into my line of work, we need someone as observant as he is, and someone that can learn fast. He'd be a valuable asset to our team."

Jiraiya felt a shiver run up his spine. _'If only you knew who you would be dragging into your dark line of work Kakashi.' _Jiraiya thought as he flashed Tsunade a glance. _'She needs to tell Sakura or Kakashi sooner or later. Sakura has gone her whole life without knowing she had a father, while Kakashi…' _Jiraiya couldn't help but feel pity towards the younger male. _'He has been living in solitude because he thinks his whole family is dead…'_

Jiraiya wasn't allowed to progress deeper into his thoughts for Tsunade ended the conversation. "Well sorry Kakashi, but I want to keep my apprentice." She told him with a smirk. "Why don't you get your own?" She asked having Kakashi give her an eye crease.

Kakashi shook his head. "Sorry Tsunade, you know me, I'm not good at teaching kids."

Jiraiya snorted. "Her apprentice is far from a kid Kakashi." He added in, causing Tsunade to cast him a sharp look.

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement. "True. The lad seemed more mature than a regular teenaged boy."

"Yes he is Kakashi." Tsunade interjected. "Well I hate to end our conversation, but we need to get back to headquarters." Tsunade declared as she grabbed Jiraiya by the arm and lead him down the hall.

Kakashi nodded his head. "It was good seeing you both again." He said, while Tsunade and Jiraiya waved back at him, as they walked deeper down the hall.

Meanwhile, Sakura strolled down the opposite hall in a tirade. She couldn't get over how preposterous the King acted towards her. _'I mean I expected him to be all high and mighty, but I never thought he was this bad…' _Sakura thought, as she opened the South side door.

Not daring to look back, Sakura exited the castle, and began to walk down an all too familiar path. _'Looks like I'll be paying an early visit Mom.' _Sakura thought with a sad smile, as she picked up her pace, and sprinted towards the grave sight.

As Sakura came to a halt, she was welcomed by a sight of many graves littered across the lonely hills. She bowed deeply towards the entrance, in respect, and proceeded to walk towards a grave.

Once she reached the stone she was looking for, she knelt down, clasped her hands together, and proceeded to have a chat with her deceased mother. It seemed every time Sakura would have a stressful day on a mission, or a horrible experience during her servant hours, or even if she didn't want to feel alone, she would come to her Mother's grave and talk to her.

'_You would never guess what happened today Mother.' _Sakura began as she crossed her legs together and closed her eyes in concentration. _'The retched King wanted to talk to the "spy" about how some crazy snake man who wants to kill him. He kept assuming that I was a boy. How annoying, I mean come on, do they seriously think women are that incapable of doing a man's job?' _Sakura couldn't help but snort at her own statement. _'But then again, why wouldn't they? I mean it's those princesses that give us hard working women a bad name….anyways, I stuck up for myself. He wasn't letting me do anything on the mission that I started! Sometimes I wished those Royal, stuck up snobs could see what its like on the outside of their pristine stone walls.' _Sakura rambled on as her face expressed every passing emotion she felt, this was the only place, which she was allowed to truly show her emotions.

'_Then there was this stuck up Knight down in the meeting room as well…he seemed very experience in what is job…but there was something about him, like he didn't seem too attached to the world. His expressions and movements were too guarded. It was like he didn't want to reveal anything about himself. He is hiding something….' _Sakura thought suspiciously. _'Maybe you can help me Mom, his name was Kakashi, I think. Maybe you can find out some information on him for me.' _Sakura thought was a sad smile as she bowed deeply towards the grave. _'Well looks like I have to go. See you again soon.' _Sakura said as she rose to her knees and began to walk out of the cemetery.

As she exited the scene, she couldn't help but shake her head at herself. Here she was, a twenty year old, still talking to her mother like she could hear her. She used to do it when she was little, when she believed her mother would answer her, but now…she just used it as a scapegoat. A way to exit the dark side of the world that she learns about every day, and focus on something that would never change, and that would be her Mother's grave.

The sun began to hide behind the horizon, as the moon started to come out, ready to be the center of attention. Sakura picked up her pace, praying to the Gods, that she wouldn't get whipped for returning to the Castle so late. _'I doubt that, the King is probably in a shitty mood after what I said to him earlier.' _Sakura thought as she sprinted towards the Southside entrance of the castle.

Shutting the iron door, soundlessly, behind her Sakura ran with a cat's grace towards her station. She had already discarded her cloths from the meeting, in her usual hole in a tree, now she was dressed in her servant cloths.

As she passed the kitchen, an arm grabbed out at her, causing her to be pushed against a stone wall. "What the hell?" Sakura exclaimed as she wiggled around in the captor's grasp.

"Shut up Pinky. Do you want to get killed?" Anko growled out as she loosened her hold on the younger woman.

Sakura looked up at Anko with confusion. "What the hell is going on Anko?" Sakura asked.

Anko let go of Sakura's wrist, entirely, and shook her head. "Mikoto sent out a bunch of guards to come look for you, when she rang her bell, you never showed up." Anko exclaimed, as she watched Sakura's face pale.

"Where is she? I need to tell her I'm here." Sakura said as she got away from the wall and began to walk towards the entrance.

A hand stopped Sakura in her tracks. "And what are you going to tell the woman when you randomly show up during dinner? That you felt like taking a walk and lost track of the sun set?" She said sarcastically.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I'll think of something Anko." She said with a smile. She noticed the worried look Anko let flash on her face and Sakura placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Anko, I will be ok."

Anko shook her head, causing her purple hair, to whip her in the face. "Just be careful. The King is in a vile mood." After all the years Anko has spent with Sakura, she has grown to fill the Mother hole that Sakura seemed to be missing.

Sakura turned her face towards the door and couldn't help the smirk that crawled up to her face. "And why is that?" Sakura asked, trying to sound confused and worried.

Anko shrugged her shoulders. "Word around the pots is that some spy told him something he didn't like." Anko stated as Sakura began to walk out the door. "The Gods know how annoyed he gets when he hears something he doesn't like." Anko said again.

Sakura nodded her head as she walked through the door, towards her doom. As she walked down the barren hallways, taking every twist and turn, she ran into an angry looking guard.

"There you are!" He shouted as he grabbed her arm. "Let's go. The Queen has made us look for your sorry ass. Why I don't know, but it has been a waist of my time." He growled out as he dragged Sakura down the remaining hallways.

Sakura held back her tongue. She needed to save her energy for facing the royals during their feast. _'The dinner is the worst time to interrupt them…this is not going to be a good night for me.' _Sakura thought with a groan as the big wooden doors of terror opened wide.

As the doors opened, Sakura watched as the royal family of four turned their pretty black heads in her direction. As she looked around, she saw them all staring at her, the only one that seemed remotely effected by her presence was Mikoto.

"My lady, I have found your servant." He said as he bowed deeply and thrusted Sakura to stand in front of the table.

Sakura looked around the table. The King paid no attention to her, Itachi seemed to glue his eyes to her once the guard shoved her forward, Mikoto eyed her with worry, while the youngest son acted just like the King.

Mikoto placed down her fork and turned towards Sakura. "Where were you?" She asked kindly. "I called for you and you never came."

Sakura bowed deeply towards her Leader. Sakura never realized how lucky she was to be with Mikoto's servant. There were plenty of masters that would have slashed her dearly for half of the stunts Sakura has pulled in her life. _'She felt sorry for me when my parents never came to claim me.' _Sakura thought as she returned to a standing up position.

"Sorry to worry you My Lady." Sakura said as she heard a chair being scraped against the wooden floor.

Sakura stared long and hard as the King slowly walked towards her. "You will be sorry." He said darkly as he reached over to one of the guards to pull out a leather whip.

Sakura watched as both Princes eyed their father's footsteps. She eyed the revolting leather contraption with indifference. The way the million leather straps flapped with every walk rang warning bells in Sakura's head. There was nothing she could do though, she needed, no she had too, take the beating like a man.

"Get on your knees." He commanded.

Sakura did as she was told until she heard Mikoto's chair scrap against the floor as well. "Fugaku, you put that whip down right now. She is my servant and I will give her punishment where I see fit." She demanded, eyeing Sakura with fear. _'If Fugaku whips her, she won't be able to work for weeks, he so angered by that Spy that he's itching to hit something.' _She thought in horror. _'Unfortunately that something is her.'_

Itachi and his younger brother watched the scene with calculating eyes. "How long do you think the servant will last?" The younger Prince said with a smirk, waiting to hear the woman cry out in pain, from his father's lashings.

Itachi ignored his brother's question and watched the scene unfold. He noticed the way she looked at the whip without fear. _'She must have been whipped so many times that she doesn't see the whip threatening like other slaves would.' _His thought made him even more curious about the servant in front of him. _'What could a woman possibly do to get whipped so many times?' _

Fugaku turned towards his wife and narrowed his eyes towards her. "You will sit down and shut your mouth. I will not have you ordering me around." He said as he grabbed Sakura's shoulders and shoved her down on the floor. "You will stay until I tell you to move." He ordered.

Sakura did not respond, instead, she focused on a spot on the wall. Before Sakura knew what hit her, she heard leather flaps slamming down on her back. The first lash sent a sharp pain through her body, it felt like her whole back was on fire, but there was no water to soothe the pain that was about to come.

Mikoto watched with horror written on her face. Fugaku kept slamming the leather into the poor girl's back. What was strange was that she never cried out once, not even during the first round of lashes, but Mikoto noticed that Fugaku was growing angrier with her. _'Oh no…' _She thought in horror as she averted her eyes from the scene.

Itachi watched with narrowed eyes. His father was not weak behind a whip, so what made this servant able to subside the cries, which were sure to erupt from any other servant's mouth? He noticed his mother was growing sick with watching the leather strike deep into her skin, causing the wound to grow deeper and making more blood fly out of her body. _'She is a servant…but yet…she possesses an unspoken bond with my Mother…' _He was now truly perplexed by the servant and decided that she was now his top priority to research, the spy would come later.

Fugaku glared down at the silent servant. He had struck her twenty times and still there was no sound escaping her mouth. "You think you are too good to cry out?!" He shouted as he threw back the whip and smashed it, with all his might, down on her back.

During most of the whipping Sakura had tuned her mind out of the situation. She began to think back to her mission and how she was going to plan around the snake man. She could tell that Fugaku was growing angry with her, for, she heard his hand grasp around the whip tighter than before. She knew it was coming, the big hit, and she allowed it to echo through her body.

The blow she just endeared, sent her whole body rattling, she did not allow herself to scream out loud. It would show him that he had won, now that he declared the challenge, she was not going to back down. She bit her lip to stop her from screaming, but, she could not stop the lone tear to fall from her eye.

Fugaku stood there, after twenty more lashes the servant made no effort to scream or shout out in pain. He took a step back from the lashing and surveyed his work. Blood was running down the woman's back, onto his floor. The back of her dress was slashed to shreds and her wounds seemed even deeper than before. His whip was soaked in blood, it was amazing the woman didn't fall over. "Get out of my sight." He said roughly as he threw the whip to one of the guards.

Sakura stood down on her knees for a few minutes before she got up. She never took her eyes off the piece of stone she was eyeing through the whole experience. There was no longer pain that erupted through her whole body, all there was, was numbness. She could tell a few tears escaped her, but that didn't matter, what mattered was getting the hell out of there before he decided to throw her into a wall too.

Itachi and Mikoto watched her with curiosity. She got up without a sway in her step, and proceeded to walk to the doors like nothing had happened to her.

Not a word was said as Sakura exited the dinner room. Sakura shut the wooden doors and made her way towards Anko. _'Anko can help me with these wounds.' _She thought as she rounded the corner and before she knocked on Anko's door she tried to get a look at her stinging back. Her swift movements were making the paint more and more unbearable. _'These wounds are going to take longer to heal that I initially thought…' _Sakura thought with a groan as she knocked on Anko's door. It seems like everyone was against her today…

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well….that was a long chapter, I've got to say. I hope a lot more people review to it. I hope my efforts didn't go in vain! Hope you enjoyed it and please read and review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Hey there all my faithful reviewers! I am back with another exciting chapter for you all! Hope you enjoy it! And please REVIEW!!

Dedicated to: nickeledwards, TeamTHEFT, MistressOfTheDevil, ..window, and shadow miko

* * *

It took only a day for rumors to fill the castle about the King's brutal outbreak towards one of the Queen's most trusted servants. Every servant, cook, maid, and other working body in the castle would shake in fear when a Royal member walked by. Never in her life, had Mikoto seen the working class struck with this much fear.

'_I can't believe Fugaku let Tsunade's spy get to him.' _She thought angrily as she continued to walk down the servants' hall. _'Because of his selfish stunt, my best servant is injured and can't work for two weeks.' _Mikoto shook her head from side-to-side, ashamed of her husband's outburst, as she held down her anger. It would do her no good to get riled up.

Mikoto walked up to the old wooden door and took a deep breath. _'I just hope she's ok…' _Mikoto thought sadly. She always had a soft spot for the pink haired servant. _'I guess it's because she just seemed so cheerful when she was little…and now…she is just broken and too much like my sons…' _Mikoto thought sadly as a flash of determination lit up her black eyes. _'Not if I have anything to say about it.'_

Before Mikoto knocked on the servant's door she heard two voices talking on the other side. The first voice, she recognized, as the renowned cook while the other voice, was her servant's. _'Maybe I could get more information before I walk in there…' _She thought as she pressed her ear up to the door and listened to their conversation.

Anko was glaring down at Sakura's back. "What did you do this time Pinky?" Anko said with a sigh as she ripped up Sakura's dress into tiny little pieces of cloth. _'These wounds are very deep and there are so many…' _Anko thought worriedly.

Sakura, who was lying naked on the floor covered in nothing but her undergarments, stared down at the dusty stone floor and began to draw designs with the dust. "You know…the usual…coming in late only to have the bloody guards take me to Mikoto while they were eating…" Sakura said without any sadness, fear, or anger in her voice.

Anko placed the pieces of ripped cloth in the water bowl and rung the excess water out of the strips of clothing. "I'm sure you did more to piss off the bastard than that Sakura." Anko stated as she placed the cold strips on Sakura's open wounds.

Sakura felt a shiver of pain run up her spine. _'That damn King is going to keep me out of work for a while…but knowing him…he will send work for me even if I'm not fully healed.' _Sakura thought bitterly as she held in her breath while Anko drenched her wounds with water.

"So what did you do Pinky?" Anko said as she removed the wet pieces of cloth and threw them behind her.

Sakura let a chuckle escape her lips. Who would have thought both sides of her would be able to get a reaction out of the King in one day? "You could say that I challenged him." She said with a cocky smile on her face.

Anko stopped in mid-action as she glared down at the stupid woman. "Are you fucked in the head Sakura?!" Anko yelled out loud causing her voice to echo off the stone walls. "He could have killed you!"

Sakura winced at Anko's tone, she never saw the crazy brown haired woman this mad at her before. "Anko it wasn't my fault." Sakura stated as she got up into a sitting position, much to her body's protest. "He instigated the challenge…"

Sakura immediately stopped her statement when she saw Anko swiftly turn around on the ball of her foot, glaring down at her, with her intimidating brown eyes. "And you can't be like a normal servant and try to let the challenge slide?!" She yelled even louder.

Sakura was about to answer when her door was gently opened, to reveal, Mikoto staring at the two women with unreadable eyes. Anko stood frozen as she grabbed the water bowl and scattered wet pieces of cloth. "Hello Queen Uchiha." Anko said quietly as she bowed deeply towards her.

Mikoto nodded her head at the cook and waved her hand to dismiss her. It wasn't until the door was shut, that Mikoto moved her luscious white gown out of the way for her to be able to sit on the stone floor with Sakura. "You really don't know when to quit do you?"

Sakura stared at Mikoto with blank emerald eyes. She watched as Mikoto's white dress mixed in with the dirt. The front of the dress was decorated by luscious rubies, sapphires, and diamonds buttons lined up in two rows. The bottom was very slim fitting, clinging to Mikoto's every curve. While slits were placed near he wrist of the arms of the dress and was fastened by two jewel like buttons. Sakura couldn't miss how all the jewels corresponded with the giant Uchiha fan on the back of the dress. "What do you mean My Lady?"

Mikoto smiled kindly towards the young woman and lifted her tight jacket that lay elegantly against her hips, with a trim line of rabbit fur around the coat, and pulled out a few medical supplies that she received from the infirmary. "You can't just challenge my husband like that Sakura." She said as she grabbed Sakura's shoulder and twisted her around to face the wall.

Sakura sucked in her breath, once again, as Mikoto's gentle hands began to wrap the white binding around Sakura's lower abdomen as it slowly make its way up towards the beginning of her breast bone. "You know how I am My Lady…" Sakura said with a small smile. "I can't back away from a challenge." Sakura finished, as she felt the older woman behind her, lightly giggle.

"Sadly Sakura, you are right." Mikoto said happily, remembering the first time she had to teach Sakura manners. "I remember the first time I had to watch you and all those little girls…" Mikoto stated as she drifted off into dream land, where times seem to be much simpler. "You were the first group I ever taught…to say the least…it was learning experience for all of us." Mikoto said as Sakura shifted around to face her.

Sakura nodded her head as; she too, began to listen in on Mikoto's flash back. "I distinctively remember you and another little girl...Ami was it?" Mikoto asked herself as she tried to remember the troublemaker's name. "…yes…Ami, you two were partnered up together when I made you girls try to put together a proper dinner."

Sakura giggled at the memory, much to Mikoto's excitement. _'Maybe she isn't turning into my boys after all…' _She thought with a smile as her story continued.

"You two were chosen to cut the meat, with Anko watching you of course, and I don't understand how it turned into a competition, but the next thing I knew you two were cutting the meat up so fast that…." Mikoto stopped when she saw Sakura's eyes light up with amusement. "What? Do you remember why you two were at each other's throats?" She asked curiously.

Sakura nodded her head towards Mikoto. "Yes I do My Lady." She said with a growing smile. _'God, it's been so long since I've even tried to remember my childhood days…' _Sakura thought as she got back to the patient waiting Queen. "Ami saw the young Prince and she thought I was looking at him too." Sakura watched as Mikoto nodded her head in understanding.

'_Itachi was known to have fan girls even when he was the tender age of seven…but I don't remember Sakura showing interest in my son…' _Mikoto thought confusingly.

"But that wasn't the truth at all." Sakura continued. "I was more focused on the knife Anko threw across the room at one of her assistants, who just happened to be near where the Prince was walking." Sakura thought with a giggle.

Mikoto nodded her head. "Oh." She said as she smiled disappointingly at Sakura. Something deep inside her wished the woman showed some sort of fascination with her oldest son. Sure Sakura was a servant, but that's only because no one came to claim her, deep down Mikoto knew Sakura belonged to a prestigious family. If only the family would claim her, then she would of thought of setting up the head strong woman in front of her with her calm son. _'They are such opposites that it would have worked.' _Mikoto took a sigh and pushed her disappointment aside to continue her story.

"Like I said…you two were cutting the meat up so fast that you sliced your hand open with the knife." Mikoto made a sickening face, remembering all the blood that covered Sakura's hand. Then she giggled again. "You stared at it like was no big deal, switched hands, and continued to cut the meat."

Sakura blushed embarrassingly toward the Queen and scratched the back of her head with her hand. "What can I say My Lady? Ami asked for a fight and I gave her one." Sakura said as she watched the Queen slowly returned to reality. "What has happened to Ami anyways?" Sakura asked curiously.

Mikoto stared at Sakura while she tried to think of what happened to the girl. "I believe that her family is searching for a husband for her…" Sakura watched as Mikoto's face scrunched up in anger. "I'll be damned if the woman was ever mentioned to being betrothed to Itachi."

Sakura watched intently, letting her observation skills take over, as she surveyed Mikoto's actions. Her hands gathered up into a fist, her black eyes flashed dangerously in anger, and her body showed signs of aggression. _'I guess she hates Ami just as much I do.' _Sakura thought with a smile. "Don't worry My Lady; I'm sure Prince Uchiha wouldn't let her near him either." Sakura commented.

Mikoto's anger washed away immediately as she smiled at Sakura. "You're right Sakura. Itachi is too smart to even motion towards Ami and her family…besides…Fugaku hates them." Mikoto said with a straight face.

Sakura nodded her head as she stood up and stuck her hand towards the Queen. "You better get up My Lady. If anyone saw that you were sitting on the dirty floor, I would be whipped for sure." Sakura said with a smile.

Mikoto looked up at Sakura and couldn't help but feel sad as the word whip crossed the woman's lips. Sakura watched as the gloomy Queen took her hand and dusted off her dress and reach, once again, into her coat to pull out a new dress.

"I assumed that you're cloths would be destroyed so I brought you knew ones." Mikoto said as she went over to the straw bed and dropped them down.

Sakura watched the Queen with sharp eyes. The Queen was about to leave her bed, until she saw a scroll sticking out of the straw. Sakura did not react when Mikoto reached and picked up her mission scroll. "What is this Sakura?" She asked her.

Sakura eyed the scroll in Mikoto's hands and felt her brain working a mile a minute, trying to come up with an excuse, as to why a mission scroll would be in her quarters.

Mikoto eyed her servant with suspicion. _'What could she possibly be hiding?' _

Sakura made no movement and stared at the scroll. "Oh that?" She asked, acting innocent. "I don't really know what that is. You see, when you told me to get Tsunade-Sama she brought over some other person covered in a cloak, and I was wondering the halls when I saw that same person again…" Sakura stopped as she watched Mikoto's eyes widen a fraction.

"They didn't do anything to you did they Sakura?" Mikoto asked seriously as she eyed her with concern. _'She must have ran into that spy after the meeting. There is no telling what that spy could have done to Sakura...' _

Sakura had to prevent herself from laughing at the Queen. If only she knew who the spy really was, she would not be asking that question. "No. He just stormed off in anger. I was gonna go back to the doors but I saw something hit the ground and I kept it." Sakura simply said as she took the clothing and began to cloth her naked body.

Mikoto's grip tightened on the scroll. "Why didn't you show me this sooner Sakura?!" She exclaimed. _'It could have something to do with the assassination.'_

As the cloth dress came cascading down Sakura's face Sakura could see the anger running through Mikoto. "My Lady, when I came back from my walk I was dragged to your dinner room and beaten." Sakura said harshly, she felt bad when she saw Mikoto flinch under her tone, but it couldn't be helped. "I was going to present it to you but the King prevented that." Sakura explained.

Mikoto let the scroll drop to the bed and stared at Sakura. "And where did you go walking? You never did answer my question last night." Mikoto said, trying desperately, to change topics.

Sakura gave her a sad smile. "I went walking around the castle grounds My Lady. I went towards the west side hill and before I knew it I fell asleep. I'm sorry that I worried you." Sakura said.

Mikoto was going to answer her, but the door opened to reveal on of the messenger servants. Mikoto eyed the servant with the frightening Uchiha stare. "What is it?" She stated harshly.

Sakura watched as the servant shivered under the Queen's glare. Mikoto maybe a woman, but she was no push over. She hid her smirk with her long hair as she proceeded to tie the linen thread loosely around her waist.

The servant bowed deeply towards the Queen and stared at the pink haired servant. "I'm sorry My Lady but the King has instructed me to tell this servant that she is ordered to precede with her normal duties."

Mikoto felt her vision flash red as she dismissed the servant. _'When I get my hands on Fugaku, Lord help me…' _Though she didn't get to finish her thoughts because Sakura exited the room and proceeded with the orders. "If you go through with those duties Sakura, God help me…" Mikoto ranted as she followed the servant around the castle, her black heels clicking down the castle halls.

Sakura flashed her a smile. "My Lady…this is part of the challenge, he thinks I will not be able to perform my duties, and that will give him the incentive to whip me more." Sakura finished as she exited the Castle and headed towards the training grounds, with a very frustrated Queen, following her.

The sun rose high above the training grounds, as it shined down on the two men engaged in a sword's duel. As one would thrust the sword forward, the other would block. This pattern continued for a hour, not one, showing their weak points to the other fighter. Sweat poured on the men as the sun baked the two fighters.

"Look for the other person's weak points by the way they lead off with their strongest arm." Kakashi instructed Itachi as they continued to duel.

Itachi said nothing as he twirled around on the balls of his feet, just in time, to block Kakashi's sneak attack. "Hn." Was all Itachi said to indicate to Kakashi that he was understanding his advice.

As the two of them fought they didn't pay much attention to the small audience they had acquired. "Well Kakashi looks like you are getting a little slow on your attacks." Said the voice, causing Kakashi and Itachi to stop their sword dance.

Kakashi withdrew his sword, along with Itachi, and they headed towards the tree in which their audience was hiding in. "What are you doing here Jiraiya? Aren't you and Tsunade trying to get more information on the attack?" Kakashi asked as he motioned for Itachi to sit down on the luscious grass.

Jiraiya snickered towards Kakashi's comment. "Nah. That's what the apprentice is for." He said with a smirk. "Besides, this is more entertaining to watch."

Kakashi shook his head at Jiraiya and threw one canteen to the Prince. Kakashi took a sip of the refreshing liquid and took a deep gulp. As the three of them relaxed underneath the shade of the tree, they watched two assistant cooks, walk towards the garden, to pluck some ingredients the head cook asked for. They couldn't help but over hear the conversation the two girls were having.

"Did you hear?" Said one of them as they grabbed a few leaves off a unknown type of plant.

The other looked at her friend with confusion as she bent down to see if the flowers were good enough to pick. "Hear what?"

"Seems that Pinky got whipped again." The one near the trees said.

The girl on the ground smiled brightly at the news. "What did she do this time?"

"I don't know. Rumor is, is that she was late and the King whipped her senseless. No one has seen her all day."

The assistant plucked a few flowers and returned her attention to her friend. "Serves her right. You would think after all her whippings she would learn. Guess not."

"Yeah and besides, she thinks just because she's known the Queen for fourteen years, that she can get away with anything."

The two girls giggled happily at the mention of Sakura's misfortune, turned around, and began to walk back towards the back door of the kitchen. They were unaware of the tense males, that were on the side of them, as they went inside the castle.

Jiraiya felt something inside him snap. _'What did you do know Sakura?' _He thought with a shake of his head.

Itachi showed no interest in the girls' conversation, on the outside, while on the inside he felt curious. _'Mother has known the mysterious servant for a while now…hence why they have a unspoken bond with each other.' _Itachi figured out.

Kakashi stared at the area where the girls came from and couldn't help but be curious. _'Wasn't the pink haired servant at the meeting?' _His eyes returned to their lazy state as his mind pieced things together. _'She was the one that escorted the spy and Tsunade…I wonder what transpired between those three…' _He thought with a shrug of his shoulders.

"What are they talking about?" Jiraiya asked Kakashi and Itachi, acting very indifferent towards the whole thing, although he was probing to see what trouble Sakura had gotten herself into.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders but noticed the way Itachi straightened his posture. _'He knows something.' _Kakashi concluded, apparently Jiraiya didn't miss it either.

"Spill it Itachi." Jiraiya said with a straight face.

Itachi looked at the elder with emotionless eyes. Why would he care about what happened in the castle? _'He doesn't seem as curious as others, but once a spy, always a spy. He wants information no matter what it's about. It's their nature to gather information.' _Itachi stared at the perverted old man with blank stare before he said anything.

"Mother's servant was missing and wasn't found until last night." He said as he trained his eyes to the blowing grass as the breeze danced around each and every blade of grass. "Father grew angry and whipped her." He stated with little details as possible.

"How many times?" Jiraiya asked, pushing for more information out of the Uchiha, unfortunately for him he didn't get an answer, instead their attention turned towards the footsteps that were coming up to them.

Jiraiya looked towards the direction of the walking footsteps only to see Sakura standing in front of them with crossed arms. Kakashi eyed the "injured" servant with blank eyes. _'If she was injured shouldn't she be with a doctor?' _He asked himself. Itachi eyed the woman up and down, she didn't show that she was injured and her movements made it seem like she was never touched.

"Can we help you?" Kakashi asked her.

Sakura stared at the three lazy men as they lounged around in the shade. _'Typical.' _She said to herself as she looked towards the white haired Knight she saw yesterday. "Yes. You're in my way." Sakura simply said as she eyed the tree she was going to climb up.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed towards the disrespectful servant. "You will wait until we are done occupying this tree servant." Kakashi stated coldly. "Know your place." He said as he began to ignore her once again.

Itachi and Jiraiya watched the interaction between them with a curious glaze. Kakashi was known as a very straight forward man who would kill without a second thought. He was most renown for his line of work and never took shit from anyone, regardless of their social class. Then there was Sakura, a head strong, stubborn, and sarcastic servant that was not so ordinary. There was no telling what would happen now.

Sakura stared at the Knight and smirked at him. "I know my place Kakashi-San." Sakura said in a sickeningly obedient manner that caused Itachi to narrow his eyes at her. That was the same smile she flashed him before she left him in the dust.

Kakashi couldn't help but turn his head towards the servant's direction. "Then step down." He said blankly as he placed his face right near hers. '_Now she would surly turn to jelly and back down off her high horse.' _He thought to himself.

Sakura leaned her face further towards his personal space until her mouth was right next to his ear. "But Kakashi-San, how can I do my chores if you obstruct my space?" She said coldly. "Actually." She stated as she pulled away from his ear. "I could just move you…" She said with a smirk as she watched Kakashi eye her suspiciously and felt Jiraiya and Itachi eyeing her. "…but that would take too much effort." She stated as she jumped up and grabbed hold of the tree branch that was right above Kakashi's head.

Her statement left the three men speechless as they watched her lift herself, without struggling, onto the tree branch. Kakashi got up and eyed the servant with narrowed eyes. _'What kind of a servant is this?' _He thought to himself. _'Back in my day servants would be killed for disobedience such as this.' _He told himself.

Jiraiya shot Sakura a mini smirk as he covered the smirk up with a glare. _'I have to act the part.' _He told himself, though he couldn't help but feel proud at Sakura's retort.

Itachi watched as the servant lifted herself onto the branch without any sign of discomfort. He saw her condition before she left the dining room last night; it did not look good, yet in one day she was swinging around on trees like a monkey. _'It seems this one has a unbreakable spirit…' _Something inside Itachi flashed with some sort of desire. A rebellious woman was a rarity in his world, yet, this mire servant has sparked his interest more than once. _'I will find out what makes you tick…' _He told himself as a unspoken challenge formed in his head.

"You better not be swinging on that tree Pinky." Shouted a voice from behind the trees.

Everyone looked towards the rustling bushes, only to see, Anko and her assistant, walking towards them with a scowl on her face. Her assistant, on the other hand, stared at the Prince the whole time. _'God he is one sexy piece of ass.' _She thought with a lust filled look.

Sakura rubbed the back of her head and smiled down at Anko. "What do you mean Anko? I'm not swinging from tree to tree." Sakura said sheepishly.

Anko glared up at the bandaged woman. "If you re-open those wounds Pinky, I will be holding you over the fire instead of the food." She said with a evil, yet scary, glint to in her eyes.

Itachi surly thought that Sakura would of yelled back at the cook and show her usual sarcastic self, but, he was wrong. She sat up there and giggled at the cook. '_Now this was an interesting twist of emotions.'_ He thought as he listened to her statement.

"Don't worry Anko!" Sakura smiled brightly at the over-protective cook. "I won't kill myself." Sakura said proudly as her legs swung back and forth as she sat on the tree branch.

Jiraiya slyly shook his head towards Sakura's actions. But he didn't miss the way the linen dress was hiking up every time her legs would swing back and forth. Sakura saw the glow in his eyes but couldn't do anything about it. _'It will blow my cover…damn you Jiraiya, you're probably loving this.' _And Sakura was right he was loving every minute of it.

Anko shook her head at the woman in the tree. "You better not Pinky…" Her sentence stopped when she saw the Queen walking down towards them.

Itachi turned to look in the direction of the Cook's stare and saw his mother walk down the hill with grace only his mother could possess. _'What is she doing here?' _He asked. His mother hated to watch him train; she thought it was too violent.

Anko, her assistant, Kakashi, and Jiraiya bowed towards the Queen as she stood next to Itachi. "What brings you here Mikoto?" Kakashi asked with a eye crease.

Mikoto sighed and stared up at the uncontrollable servant hanging in the trees. "Sakura you better get down from that tree before I kick your ass." Mikoto scolded.

Itachi's eyes shuffled towards the servant in the trees. _'So her name is Sakura…' _He thought to himself as he predicted the woman to return back to the Sakura that he saw in the meeting room.

Kakashi stared at the pink haired girl with even confusion. _'Why does that name seem so familiar?' _Kakashi thought to himself, but shoved it aside.

Sakura pouted toward the Queen and placed her hands underneath herself. "But My Lady I have to collect some acorns from the trees." Sakura said, causing Mikoto to glare at her. "Or I could just come down and deal with that later?" Sakura questioned as she lifted herself down to the ground.

Mikoto's glare turned to a smile as she nodded her head. "I'll have the girls grab the acorns for you." She said as she waved Sakura over. "Now hurry up and get over here."

To say Itachi was puzzled was an understatement. Again, she proved him wrong with her behavior, was his ability to read people's actions slipping?

Sakura watched as the Prince locked eyes with her as she passed him towards his mother. Of course their staring contest did not go unnoticed by anyone. Mikoto felt a small smirk cross her face. _'Maybe there is something there after all.' _

Kakashi watched the staring contest and wondered what happened between the servant and the Prince. It wasn't every day that someone caught Itachi's attention.

Jiraiya knew something was going on before, but now, oh it was a dead give away. He asked Tsunade what Sakura did to get the Uchiha riled up and she told him that Sakura was being Sakura. _'Oh and the ideas for my book grow more and more.' _He thought evilly as ideas of a forbidden love started to swirl around his head.

Anko only shook her head at Sakura's actions; the woman never gave up when it came to challenges, big or small. She noticed that her assistant was growling towards Sakura. _'Oh boy, here we go.' _Anko thought miserably.

The assistant couldn't contain her anger. _'How dare that pink haired freak steal my eye candy! That little bitch!' _She yelled at herself as her hand fished for the kitchen knife that was hidden in her basket.

Sakura was the first to turn away as she walked over to Mikoto's side. "Ok my Lady led the way." Sakura said.

"Where do you think you're going?" The assistant roared.

Sakura and everyone else turned their attention to the furious assistant standing near Anko. "With Queen Uchiha." Sakura said in a threatening tone.

The girl shook her head and glared at Sakura. "Listen smart ass, I suggest you stay clear of my sight." She shouted.

Sakura smirked at the woman and shook her head. She knew what got her panties in a knot, she was mad that Sakura took her eye candy's attention. "Whatever you say." She said in a smart tone as she turned towards the Queen and they began to walk away.

Anko eyed her assistant with warning. _'She better not…' _Before Anko could warn anyone, her assistant grabbed something in her basket and flung it with every ounce of power she could muster towards Sakura.

Jiraiya knew, before the girl even threw the object that she was going to throw it at Sakura. _'Oh just great. Another fan girl.' _He thought with a shake of his head. _'I wonder what Sakura will do…' _He thought as he trained his eyes to Sakura's back.

Kakashi watched the battle of words and when Sakura turned her back towards them he felt his body stiffen with anticipation. _'This assistant is fucking crazy. Why would the cook give her a knife?' _He thought as he turned his attention to the walking target with pink hair.

Itachi heard a whiz of an object fly past him, but he didn't react fast enough to catch it. His eyes stayed glued to his mother, if she was hurt, he was going to break every bone in the wielder's body.

Sakura heard a shuffle come from the assistant's basket. _'Is she that insane to throw something like that at me?' _Sakura thought as she stopped walking, causing Mikoto to turn around and stare at Sakura with confusion.

"What's wrong?" Mikoto asked, but gasped as she saw Sakura place her arm up towards her face, and with little effort, a silver knife was caught right in-between Sakura's index and middle fingers.

The knife went souring through the air, intended to be aimed towards Sakura's face, but Sakura sidestepped and caught the sharp kitchen knife in-between her hands. Right as the knife was caught a cut was evident on her fingers and blood slowly trickled down Sakura's fingers.

The assistant glared at Sakura with murderous eyes. "You fucking cunt!" She shouted.

Sakura felt her blood run cold as she closed her eyes and turned around facing the assistant. Jiraiya felt a shiver run up his spine as his Sakura beware senses started to tingle. Kakashi eyed the scene with suspicion while Anko smirked at Sakura with pride. _'Looks like I have brushed off on you Sakura.' _She thought with a smirk.

Itachi felt the air around Sakura drop significantly dangerous. If he was a normal person he would of shook in his sandals from the tension she was making.

"Don't you dare test me." Sakura stated coldly, sending shivers up the assistant's back, her voice low and sinister. Sakura watched at the woman began to shake in fear. Not letting it go, Sakura took the knife and threw it down on the ground, right near the assistant's feet. She said nothing further as she turned back around and began to walk away.

The assistant seemed to recover quickly, for she picked up the knife, and sneered towards Sakura. "You better watch yourself Haruno!" She shouted.

Sakura didn't stop but turned her head towards the girl and stuck out her pink little tongue. "Whatever you say." Sakura shouted as she and the Queen walked away.

Once they were out of sight, Anko grabbed the younger woman by the dress and dragged her away. "Alright maggot, you will be severely punished for your defiance today." Anko coldly stated as she and the assistant walked towards the castle.

Jiraiya felt his eyes grow wide once he realized the situation. _'That girl called out Sakura's name…' _His attention turned towards Kakashi. _'…I hope he doesn't….' _He thought in horror.

Kakashi felt his whole world stop. _'Impossible…' _He thought to himself as he stared at the place Sakura once stood. _'….she has the same last name as Rin…she couldn't be…' _Kakashi started to shake his head from side to side. _'No! Rin is dead! And so is our child!' _Kakashi told himself, trying to make sense of it all.

Jiraiya was about to say something to the frantic Knight, only to have his emotions shut down, and having him return back to normal. He watched suspiciously as Kakashi turned towards them. "We will meet again tomorrow Itachi." Kakashi simply stated as he vanished away.

'_Oh shit.' _Jiraiya said as he turned towards Itachi and flashed him a cherisher cat smile. "See ya later kid." Jiraiya said as he too vanished away, leaving Itachi alone.

Itachi numbly nodded towards Kakashi and Jiraiya as they both found some excuse to disappear to wherever it was that they needed to go. At the moment, he had a bigger situation to examine.

During the whole encounter with Sakura, he couldn't anticipate her actions or words. She was like a maze with no exit. No matter what he did, examine her movements, her facial expressions, her words; they helped him none. He felt the desire burn deeper as he thought about the experience that just happened. She was uncontrollable, spontaneous, and untamable. His charcoal eyes flashed red as he caught sight of Sakura a few miles away, he was going to claim the untamable woman.

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TO

BE

CONTUNUED!!!

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**Author's Note:** That was a very long chapter. There was a lot of character building and action in this chapter. I really hoped you all enjoyed it! __

_**PLEASE!!!!! PLEASE REVIEW!!!!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the delayed update everyone :( I was just so busy last weekend that I couldn't update as fast as I wished I could. Anyways, as you can see, the story is starting to pick up some speed and it will be getting more interesting from this point on. I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

**Dedicated to: **To lazy to actually log in, hellomango, anonymous, Bucket on the Head, nickeledwards, LadyYakamichi, liteofsky, QueenThayet12990, AmaneUchiha, and TeamTHEFT

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Not having the strength to look back at the people he left behind, Kakashi hooked up his black stallion, and began to ride the powerful mare across Konoha. Kakashi rode and rode until everything seemed to fly past him in a blur. The stallion's strong legs rose up and down, digging deep into the dirt, with every forceful step it took. It carried him past the castle, pass the villagers, and pass any sign of civilization. He needed to clear his head and needed to find some answers.

The scenery changed from crowded stone paths, surrounded by blacksmiths shops, villagers, children, and market places, to a sea of trees. The chaos from the village slowly disappeared behind him as he concentrated on the beating of his horse's hooves hitting the ground.

A little wooden house came into Kakashi's view as they ran down a hill. The horse came to a smooth halt and waited patiently as his master tied the reins around the big oak tree right outside the deserted home.

The wooden home was concealed behind several trees. Ivory grew up the sides, deteriorating the house slowly. It looked like the wood would crumble to the ground if anything stronger than a summer's breeze came near it.

'_I need to find some answers.' _He thought to himself as he approached the wooden door and, with a light push, opened the ancient door.

The inside of the home looked worse than the outside. Spider webs corrupted the furniture, floors, walls, and any other spaces they could spin their webs on. Not allowing his mind to recall any memories in the home, he moved with swiftness only a skilled Knight possessed, and made his way towards a door.

He kicked the door open and quickly moved through the room. Ignoring the way his mind would travel back down memory lane, where him and his wife spent many nights on that bed. He walked to the far corner of the home and bent down to his knees.

Taking a deep breath in and out, he pulled his sword out of its sheath, and closed his eyes. _'It is now or never. Time to face the past.' _He told himself, hoping that would boost his confidence to dig up old memories. Ever since the death of his wife, he had forever, sealed his past memories under lock and key. Thinking about everything he had lost caused him to be sad and miserable. Thinking about them would distract him from his job, and that could be the difference between life and death. Now his mind revolved around battles, enemies, and the safety of the Royal family, but now, with this new mystery, his life was no longer as stable as he wished.

Kakashi plunged the sword deep into the floorboards and directed the sword to carve out a rectangular shape. When the cut was finished, he returned the sword to the side of his hip, and lifted up the board. His hands went diving down, under the ground, and began to feel around the ground. Once his hands met a solid object, they grasped the item, and pulled it up.

Right as the box was pulled up out of the ground, a crack was heard from above. Kakashi's head shot up towards the ceiling and watched, with narrowed eyes, as the wood started to crack more and more. _'Oh no.' He_ thought as the ceiling started to cascade down on him, piece by piece.

The ceiling beams fell one by one, and soon everything began to fall even faster. He got out just in time, for when he turned his attention back to the house; it fell into one big pile of wood. He approached the heap of wood and rested a hand over it. No thoughts went flying through his mind as he watched the house he built with his own two hands, crash to the ground. _'It's just like how my life came crashing down…' _He thought bitterly as he turned his back to the house, untied his horse, and sent his heels down on the steed's sides. The horse picked up his feet and carried the man deeper into the forest, until, they reached a little lake on the outskirts of Konoha's territory.

Kakashi allowed his trusty horse to roam around the watering hole, as he placed the wooden box out in front of him. _'The moment of truth.' _He told himself as he reached down on the box's latch and gingerly opened the lid.

His black eyes roamed the million scrolls that popped out from the box. His hands ran over the ancient scrolls with light touches. Kakashi took a deep breath in before he slowly reached deep into the box and pulled out a random scroll. He felt tears come to his eyes, but he whipped them away before they could have affected him.

'_I will not cry. Rin's death was in the past. And this servant…Sakura…is something to be concerned about.' _Kakashi thought as he untied the scroll and began to read the scroll.

"**It's been such a nice day. The way the sun shined, the way the summer breeze blew across the forest's grass…it makes Sakura giggle with joy…if only Kakashi could be here to see her giggle like this…"**

Kakashi stopped reading the scroll and placed on the side of him. _'This doesn't prove anything…' _He told himself as he reached into the box to pull out another scroll. Without wasting any time, Kakashi pulled the scroll open and began to read, once again. As he opened the scroll he watched as a dried cherry blossom fluttered to from the scroll.

"**I don't know where she gets it…her hair is the most unusual shade of pink I've ever seen. I mean red heads run in my family...but…Sakura's hair is pink! I guess I'll have to blame Kakashi's side of the family. They all have some type of silver coloring in their hair after all. But I love my little Sakura. She resembles the Cherry Blossoms so well, hence why I named her Sakura…"**

If that statement didn't knock Kakashi out of denial no one knows what would have. His eyes went wide as he returned his eyes to the dried Cherry Blossom that landed on his knee. He dropped the scroll and tentatively picked up the fragile flower. _'So Sakura is my daughter…' _Kakashi concluded as he stroked the flower with his thumb. His glaze became hard as his hand formed a fist, crushing the dried flower, because of his actions. _'I will be damned if I allow anyone to hurt her. I've lost my wife I will not lose my only daughter.' _He declared to himself.

Before he decided to head back into town, he reached into the box and pulled up one more scroll. He pulled out the scroll and began to read the words on the scroll, this time; he was looking for any information about his daughter when she was little. _'I regret never being able to see her.' _He said sadly to himself as his eyes widened at the next paragraph in the scroll.

"**I didn't want to do it, the Gods know I would never hand over my daughter to anyone, but I had no choice. The Creed has assigned me a mission, I don't know how long I will be gone, but as long as I know that Sakura will be in good hands, until I get back, I will be ok…"**

Kakashi felt a lone tear drop from his eye and down his cheek. _'It's the mission that killed Rin.' _He admitted, but, he whipped the tear away and continued to read Rin's last entry.

"**Sakura looked so sad. Poor girl. I know she tried to hide her tears from me, but I still saw them. She is just like Kakashi sometimes that I have to do a double take to make sure she is not him. The way she is always so determined and how she tries to be just like her father, there is no doubt that she is Kakashi's daughter."**

Kakashi felt a small smile grace his lips. Now that he thought about it, Sakura did show some traits that could link her to him. _'That would explain why she has such a strong personality…but…' _Kakashi thought again. _'I have yet to see what she is like around her friends. There is no doubt that she acts like Rin, sweet, caring, and kind hearted…' _Kakashi thought as his eyes flew lower down the page.

"**I made sure that Sakura's last name was my maiden name. Now none of mine, or Kakashi's, enemies will come after her. No one pays attention to a woman's last name, unless they are married of course. I will never drag my baby through the hardships of my work. I want her to grow up like a normal princess, for she is exactly that, a cute little princess…"**

Kakashi's eyes trailed off the end of the scroll and he couldn't help but agree with his wife's words. His eyes turned towards the sky as the sun began to set. _'I will do anything and everything I can to keep our Sakura from entering the dark ways of our work Rin. I promise you that.' _He proclaimed to the sky as he rolled up the scrolls and placed the delicate box in the bag attached to his saddle.

Taking the reins in each hand, Kakashi sent his horse forward and galloped away from the peaceful lake. The sun began to recede behind the clouds, gracing the sky with a pretty layer of orange and pink. Kakashi shortened his reins and placed his chest close towards the horse, egging the horse to gallop even faster. _'I know someone who can help me.' _He said to himself as he maneuvered the steed around the town towards a house located on the far side of town.

He pulled his stallion to a stop and gracefully slid off the mounts back. Kakashi lead the horse to a water bucket and tied the reins loosely around the tree next to it. _'I hope Iruka isn't busy.' _Kakashi thought as he opened the door and let himself inside.

As he walked into the home he heard two voices coming from the kitchen. As he opened the wooden door he stared eyes wide at Iruka.

At first Iruka didn't notice someone entered his home, but when he saw Sakura turn towards the door, his mouth snapped shut. Right in front of him was Kakashi, staring at him with shocked eyes.

"Kakashi!" Iruka said with a smile, hoping to make Kakashi stop looking at him with that expression.

Kakashi didn't say anything as he held back his shocked expression and tried to not draw attention to the other person in the room. "Hello Iruka." He said to Iruka as he tilted his head in a greeting.

Iruka turned towards Sakura and shifted his eyes to the door. "You better go Sakura. Before the Queen worries." He told her softly.

Sakura, who was eyeing the Knight with silver hair with an intense look, shifted her eyes to Iruka and smiled brightly. "I wouldn't want to end up with more whippings huh?" She said in a kidding manner as she pulled herself out of the chair.

Kakashi didn't miss the flash of anger that ran through him when she brought up her punishment. _'She has spirit…just like Rin.' _He analyzed as he watched her stick her hand into a bag of cherries. He felt his eye brows rise in question, so he watched as Iruka shook his head at Sakura.

"Sakura I think I should just send you to the castle with a bag of those." He said with a light chuckle.

Sakura shoved a cherry into her mouth and smiled at Iruka. Before she spoke, she swallowed the cherry and her smile got brighter. "I think Anko would castrate you Iruka." She told him with an evil smile, not missing, the way both of the men's faces fell in horror.

"Don't worry Iruka. I won't let Anko do that to you." Sakura giggled as she hugged Iruka and made her way towards the door.

Kakashi's eyes were glued to the young woman as he watched several traits from his wife pass through the girl. Her smile resembled Rin's, her laugh was identical to Rin's, but he couldn't help but see a little bit of him when she made her bold statement. _'That would have been a comment I would have made when I was younger and more carefree.' _But his bright feelings came crashing down as he watched her hug Iruka. He wished he could have been there to hold her, put her to bed, feed her, and watch her grow.

When she shut the door, Kakashi was brought out of his thoughts, and he focused his full attention to Iruka. When Iruka sat down at the table, Kakashi followed suit.

Iruka eyed his friend with interest. It had been almost six months since he has seen the silver haired Knight in his home. "What brings you here Kakashi?" He asked curiously.

Kakashi stared deeply at Iruka. "What is your relationship with the girl?" He simply asked revealing nothing.

Kakashi watched as Iruka's face went from confused to shocked. "What do you mean Kakashi?"

Kakashi refused to show any emotion. He needed to know how Iruka knew Sakura. "You two seem close. Why?"

Iruka took a deep breath before he answered Kakashi's question. _'Why does he want to know about Sakura?' _He thought. "She was at my front door one night and I took her in. Since then she comes here whenever she can." Iruka told him, not daring to give any details about how she got to his doorstep.

Kakashi nodded his head as the wheels started to turn in his head. _'Sakura views Iruka as a father figure then. I'm glad that she picked Iruka instead of a few other men I have thought about…' _Kakashi was thrown out of his thoughts when the kitchen door slammed open.

"Iruka!" A voice shouted extremely loud.

Kakashi turned around in his chair only to see Jiraiya and Tsunade standing in the kitchen. His eyes narrowed at the duo, as the two of them, took a seat at the table. Iruka, on the other hand, sent a small glare to Jiraiya, while he smiled up at Tsunade.

"What brings you two here?" Iruka asked.

Jiraiya stared at Kakashi and then slowly returned his attention back towards Iruka. "Uh….never mind." He said as he scratched the back of his head.

Tsunade grinded her teeth together and punched Jiraiya on the back of the head. "You're a dumb shit Jiraiya." Tsunade growled out as she nodded her head at Iruka and Kakashi. "What brings you here Kakashi?" She asked with fake confusion written on her face.

Kakashi stared at the three people in front of him with calculating eyes. _'Maybe I can have them watch over Sakura as well…' _His eyes went soft for a second, as he cleared his throat, catching everyone's attention. "I need you all to do me a favor."

All jokes and playful atmosphere was whipped away when Kakashi spoke. It was rare to have him ask anyone to help him with anything. "What is it Kakashi?" Tsunade asked as she studied the man in front of her. _'What could he possibly need our help for?'_

Kakashi looked at each and every one of them and continued on. "I need you to keep an eye on someone for me." He turned to Tsunade and Jiraiya. "You two have sources outside the castle and inside the castle." He turned his eyes to Iruka. "And you have a deep connection with them, so the job should be rather simple."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the Knight before her. _'What is he getting at?' _She thought as her mind tried to piece together the puzzle. _'Jiraiya told me that Kakashi heard Sakura's full name, but…what could he possibly be thinking?'_

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes at Kakashi. He had no idea where Kakashi was going with this favor of his. Iruka, on the other hand, had a gut feeling that he was not going to like this next part.

"What do you want us to do Hatake?" Jiraiya asked with an edge in his voice.

Kakashi stared at the three with unreadable eyes. "I am trusting you with a secret." He told them. He waited for their attention to return to him before he continued on. "The pink haired servant, Sakura, is my daughter…" He said in a low tone.

Jiraiya's eyes went as wide as saucers. _'So he did figure it out! We are so fucked!' _He shouted to himself. _'Kakashi would kill us if he found out we knew Sakura and made her Tsunade's apprentice!' _

Tsunade held her composure far better than her companion on the side of her. She knew Kakashi was going to figure it out eventually. Her amber eyes studied the Knight in front of her with blank eyes. "What do you want us to do about it?" She asked, hoping to continue to find pieces to this puzzle.

Kakashi leaned on the table with his elbows as he took a deep breath. "I want you all to keep an eye on her. I will keep a watchful eye on her, but it would help if every single one of you could as well."

Iruka felt his mouth drop to the floor. _'He's not going to tell Sakura at all?! How could he do that to her?! She's been fatherless for so long!' _Iruka smashed his hands down on the table and shot up into a standing position. "You aren't going to tell her Kakashi?!" He yelled.

Everyone stared at the usually quiet Iruka with puzzled eyes. Normally he was the very subtle and shy type. It was very rarely that Iruka would speak rashly or even out of turn.

Kakashi's lazy eyes drifted up towards Iruka. "She can not know that I am her father." He stated calmly.

Iruka glared down at his old friend. "The girl has been without a father since she was seven Kakashi! You're telling me that now that you know who she is, and what she means to you, that you will not tell her that you are her father?!"

Tsunade and Jiraiya watched the frustrated Iruka with uncertainty. "Didn't I tell Iruka that Kakashi would keep himself from Sakura or did I not?" Tsunade whispered to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya couldn't help but shake his head in agreement. "But give the man some credit Tsunade. He just wants Sakura to finally have a family." Jiraiya defended Iruka. "He has a deep relationship with Sakura."

Tsunade nodded her head in agreement as Kakashi rose to his feet and stared down at Iruka. She looked at Jiraiya as the two of them leaned closer, watching the scene unfold before their eyes.

"Iruka." Kakashi said with a stern stare. "I kill traitors as a living. Have you forgotten?" He asked as he continued to hold Iruka's attention. "If I announce to the whole town that Sakura is my daughter she will be a target for sure." He stated as his voice began to drip lower. "Besides…" He continued as he sank himself back into the wooden chair. "I don't want her dragged into my line of work like I did to Rin…" He whispered as he broke eye contact with Iruka and stared out the window, his mind beginning to send flashbacks through his brain.

Iruka stared at the silent man with sorrowful eyes. He could only imagine the amount of pain Kakashi was going through. _'He can't even look at his daughter unless it's strictly professional.' _His eyes became soft as he placed a comforting hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "I'm sorry Kakashi I didn't think…"

Kakashi shrugged off Iruka's hand and shook his head. "No." He said, cutting of Iruka's apology. "You see her as a daughter and she sees you as a father. I'm glad that everyone can keep an eye on her for me." He said as he returned back to reality. "I will be damned if I placed Sakura in any danger." He said as he got up and headed towards the door. "I will see you later." He told them as he closed the back door behind him.

The room was silent as the wooden door closed shut. The only sound that was heard was the horse's galloping stride heading far away from Iruka's home. When they could no longer hear the horse's footsteps Iruka turned towards Tsunade with alarm.

"We need to dismiss Sakura as your apprentice Tsunade." Iruka said.

Jiraiya stared wide eyed at the brunette male. "Are you fucking crazy Iruka?" He stated as he shook his head from side to side. "Sakura is the best in the business. There is no way Tsunade would dismiss her just like that!"

Iruka took a big sigh as he turned his attention to his back door. "But what if Kakashi finds out…"

Tsunade stood up, making the wooden chair fall over making a loud bang echo in Iruka's home. "He will never find out Iruka. He can only watch her, only talk to her, if she instigates the conversations, and besides…" Tsunade folded her arms over her chest and leaned more of her weight on one leg. "I got to her first. If Kakashi didn't want Sakura to be involved in anything, he shouldn't have left her at the castle in the first place." Tsunade said in annoyance.

Jiraiya smirked up at his companion. _'Its times like these that makes me see Tsunade in a different light. She doesn't seem so scary and evil. She's acting like a mother hen not wanting to let go of her baby chick.' _Jiraiya snickered at his thought. She would have killed him if she caught him saying that.

Iruka stared at Tsunade with broken eyes. _'If only Sakura knew of her family. She could get out of being a servant, getting whipped, and finally live the life that I know Rin would have wanted her to…' _But Iruka knew that his way of thinking was left for his fantasy world. Life had its funny way of making everything just that much more difficult.

"This conversation does not leave this home Iruka." Tsunade ordered as she and Jiraiya began to make their way towards his back door.

Iruka followed the two of them to the door and nodded his head. "Yes Tsunade." He said as he watched their backs disappear into the night.

Jiraiya and Tsunade heard the door slam shut and they began to make their way towards their headquarters. As the two blended in with the shadows Jiraiya couldn't help but chuckle lightly.

Tsunade whipped her head around as she narrowed her amber eyes towards the perverted old man. "What's so funny Jiraiya?" She snarled out.

Jiraiya simply tilted his head to the side and gave her a sheepish smile. "Nothing Tsunade. I just find it funny how you had to fight for Sakura to stay with you."

Tsunade's glare fell as her eyes followed the different shadows that passed by them. "You know I had to Jiraiya." She said softly. "If I dropped Sakura now, there goes her whole view of "family" right out the window." She said.

Jiraiya nodded his head. "But there is more than what meets the eye. Isn't there Tsunade?" Jiraiya insinuated.

Tsunade slapped him upside the head for his foolish thoughts and they continued to run through the dark night in silence. _'Yet…Jiraiya is right. Sakura has been like the daughter I have never had. And I would be damned if I would destroy her only form of family. Even if that means not listening to anything Kakashi says.' _She told herself as they snuck underground and made their way towards their home base.

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED!

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_**Author's Note:**_ I'm so sorry that it took me a lot longer to post up this chapter. And it wasn't even that action packed. I had so much work to do that I couldn't have posted it any other time. Please, I hope you all forgive me, and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!!

PLEASE REVIEW!!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Why hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. I really broke the ice with that one :) Now I would like to thank everyone that reviewed to the other chapters and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter!

Dedicated to: nickeledwards, QueenThayet12990, sleeping itasaku fangirl, LadyYakamichi, Julie aka Juuri, TheVampyricAssassin, oxanimeangelxo, White Sakura of Hope, just-let-me-go, and TeamTHEFT

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She was never this bored when she was Mikoto's servant. Normally she just followed Mikoto around, like a shadow, and fetched whatever Mikoto asked her to get. When Sakura would make her rounds around the Castle, with Mikoto, she would at least find a few scenarios to entertain herself with, but not today.

'_Ugh. Can people be anymore boring?!' _Sakura screamed to herself as she silently followed Mikoto's actions with her emerald eyes. The Queen was enthusiastically prancing around the dinning hall, picking out the most luxurious china to fill the, what seemed like, a never ending table.

Sakura shook her head from side to side. _'I never will understand why Noble's need such a big table to shove their faces in food.' _Sakura thought with a snort.

"Queen Uchiha, what do you think about this tablecloth?" Asked one servant, as she thrusted the fabric towards Mikoto's waiting hands.

Sakura watched the exchange with curious eyes. No matter how many books, or ancient scrolls, she buried her nose into; she never got the idea of why Noble's had to go full out for something as simple as a dinner party. _'I guess it gives them something to brag about and rub in visiting families faces.' _

Mikoto examined the cloth with a critical eye. "Hm…" She said as her black eyes roamed around the cloth. Her hand grabbed the material gently, the royal white silk seemed like it was meant to be in the room. She took the whole cloth out of the servant's hands and proceeded to strut around the room with it. "This is perfect!" She exclaimed, with a big smile, when she held it up against the deep burgundy colored walls.

The servant jumped up and down excitedly after hearing the Queen approve her choice in material. "Tell Sasha to add tassels at the end of it. The color must be in black." Mikoto ordered as she gently handed back the cloth and continued to examine other decorations.

Sakura watched as more and more servants scurried around the room, presenting different types of silver and gold china to Mikoto. _'Jeez. You would think Mikoto would get tired of decorating the same dinning room…' _But Sakura realized that it was the exact opposite.

She watched as Mikoto's emotions came to life. She ran around the room with much passion and animation. Her hands went flying everywhere telling which servant to place what where. Sakura felt a small smile start to crawl across her lips. _'I guess this is one of those moments where Mikoto has full control over a situation.' _

Hours went by, very painfully, for Sakura. They were cooped up in this dinning hall for what seemed like forever, but, Sakura had to admit Mikoto turned the boring and gloomy dinning room into an extravagant one. The windows were graced with the beautiful royal white curtains, allowing the bright sun, to shine through the stain glass windows. The royal blue tapestry's hung in sporadic places around the walls while the Uchiha symbol hung proudly in the center of the drapery. The table was covered in the white fabric, with the specifically asked for, black tassels hanging on the edge of it. The china sparkled against the sun's rays, causing the crystal to shine rainbow specs on the walls. Each chair was covered in black silk covers with the cushions so comfortable it could represent the softness of a cloud.

Mikoto took one last look at her work and felt a smile grace her lips. "It's perfect." She whispered to herself.

Sakura took her place beside Mikoto and waited patiently for the Queen to move on. Mikoto eyed her handy work on more time before she turned around. "We can leave now Sakura." She said with a small smile.

Sakura bowed towards Mikoto and allowed the Queen to lead the way out of the decorated room. _'Thank God!' _Sakura cheered to herself as they headed towards the south side door. _'Now maybe we will go outside or something…' _She thought, hoping to get out of the stuffy Castle. _'I was never one for staying inside.' _Sakura chuckled to herself.

The two of them made their way out the south side door and continued on outside. Sakura followed behind, with quiet steps, watching Mikoto's red dress flutter as the wind blew. _'She always had an eye for style.' _Sakura concluded. She looked ahead only to see Kakashi and Itachi training in the river that ran under the bridge. "My Lady." Sakura said to Mikoto as she stopped.

Mikoto turned around and stared at Sakura with confusion. "What's wrong Sakura?" She asked, clearly concerned.

Sakura shot her eyes towards the battling duo and then back to the awaiting Queen. "I thought you hated to watch Prince Uchiha battle." Sakura questioned.

Mikoto smiled sweetly at Sakura. "I'm not here to watch my son train Sakura." She said as she stepped closer to Sakura, making sure no one would intrude on their conversation. "Fugaku ordered a family meeting." She simply stated.

Sakura rose a pink eyebrow at Mikoto's words, but, Mikoto was already crossing the bridge. Sakura pushed her confusion aside and sprinted after Mikoto. It would do her no good to not be at Mikoto's side when the King came by. _'I'd get twenty lashes easily…' _Sakura thought with bitterness. _'He just likes to punish me for no reason.' _

Mikoto walked underneath the bridge and took a seat on one of the most immaculate rocks that was on the side of the "battlefield". Sakura ran up next to Mikoto and stood beside her.

Sakura's eyes were glued to the two fighting men in front of her. Her emerald eyes rattled back and forth watching each and every strike that was delivered to them. _'Maybe I can get some pointers from watching them.' _She thought as she began to memorize each of their moves.

Mikoto sat on the rock and tried to look anywhere but at the fight that was erupting before her. Her black eyes scaled the scenery, but no matter where she tried to look, her attention would come back to the sword wielding men. _'Men and their desire to kill.' _Mikoto thought with revulsion. She took a deep breath in and turned her attention to Sakura. _'Maybe Sakura is just as bored as this as I am.' _Mikoto hoped.

When Mikoto looked to her side she saw Sakura staring at the fight. Her face was set in full concentration and her emerald eyes moved rigorously. _'Why is Sakura so intrigued by this fight?' _Mikoto thought to herself as she surveyed Sakura's movements more. _'Maybe my son caught her eye…' _Mikoto thought as her eyes moved between Sakura and Itachi. _'Technically Sakura is of Royal blood.' _Mikoto concluded in her mind. _'Otherwise she wouldn't have been in my Castle for training.' _Just then a mischievous plan began to form in her mind. _'If I can find Sakura's parents, get Fugaku to agree, and I'll finally have Sakura in the family!' _Mikoto thought as a small smile grew on her face.

Kakashi and Itachi felt a pair of eyes following, well trying to follow, their fast movements. Kakashi eyed the elder Prince and with a snap of a finger the two of them ended the fight. Kakashi turned towards the direction of the eyes and came face to face with the Queen and Sakura. "Hello Mikoto." He said with a bow.

Itachi nodded is head towards his mother and sheathed his sword. "Mother." He said as he bowed towards her in respect.

Mikoto flashed the men a small smile. "Hello gentleman." She said.

Kakashi looked at Mikoto with a calm face. "What brings you here?"

"Fugaku has informed me that there is family meeting at Itachi's training ground." Mikoto stated as she stood up and brushed away the imaginary wrinkles on her dress. "But I have no idea when that man will get here." She said as she looked all around, trying to locate her husband.

While Mikoto conversed about how Fugaku disappeared more than she could count, Sakura was still transfixed on the swords the two men had attached around their waist. During the fight she watched with awe, in her eyes, at the way the swords would glisten in the sunlight and how weightless they seemed to be. _'I know I'm a spy but you can never enter a castle or unfamiliar territory without proper weaponry.' _Sakura convinced herself. _'And since I haven't gotten any new weapons yet… I guess I can search for some like those swords.' _She never really knew why it was swords she was fascinated with. Every choice of weapon she would take with her on missions would be some descendant of a sword.

Itachi felt Sakura's eyes glued to the side of his hip. _'What is she staring at?' _He asked himself as he tried to figure out what it was she was looking at. Nothing came to his mind as to what the woman would be staring at and he was becoming annoyed.

His eyes shifted in her direction as he glared down at her. "What?" He asked emotionlessly, causing Mikoto and Kakashi to be drawn out of their chat. Sakura, on the other hand, shamelessly looked him dead in the eyes.

"What crawled up your ass?" Sakura growled out in anger, annoyed that he interrupted her train of thought about where she could go to get a smaller version of the sword.

Mikoto stared wide eyed at Sakura's dirty mouth. "Where did that come from?" She whispered to herself.

Kakashi mentally smirked at his daughter's blunt question. He heard Mikoto's whispered words but decided to interfere with the conversation. _'Before Itachi decides to do something…' _Kakashi concluded.

Itachi stared at the petite woman with fridge eyes. Sakura was about to speak but Kakashi walked into their little circle and cleared his throat. "What is going on over here?"

Sakura stared at the man beside her. There was something different about him. He seemed more at ease and less on edge. Itachi stared at Kakashi and remained emotionless. "Ask her." He coldly stated.

Kakashi turned his eyes towards Sakura, only to see her staring at the Prince with a glare. He felt himself chuckle on the inside. _'She does have guts…' _He thought proudly. "Is there something wrong here?" He asked.

Sakura took her angered eyes away from Itachi and stared at Kakashi with the same angered eyes. "This one gets all defensive when I was just simply eyeing his sword." Sakura stated as she huffed and placed her arms across her chest.

Mikoto joined the circle and stared at Sakura with uncertainty. _'Since when did Sakura have a fascination for swords? It's forbidden for a woman to wield a weapon.' _Mikoto thought. "Why would you be looking at Itachi's sword Sakura?" She asked softly.

Sakura turned her attention to the quiet Queen. "Because." Sakura said with a smile. "It looked nice." She simply said.

Kakashi, Itachi, and Mikoto's heads whipped around to Sakura's direction. Sakura felt a sweat drop form in the back of her head. _'What it something I said?' _She asked herself.

Kakashi looked down at his sword and then back up at his daughter. _'It might be against the rules…but there is no one around…' _He told himself as checked to make sure no one was coming.

Sakura watched with wide eyes as Kakashi took the sword out of its casing and twisted the sword around. He held the blade expertly in his hand as he lifted the handle in her direction. "Try it out." He simply said.

Mikoto gasped. "Kakashi! What are you thinking?! You can't give the sword to Sakura!" She shouted in astonishment.

Itachi was confused as well but decided to remain impassive as he watched the woman take the sword. _'Another interesting little fact about her.' _He told himself as his brain's file labeled "Sakura" continued to grow.

"Don't worry Mikoto." Kakashi told her with an eye crease. "She hasn't had anything interesting happen during the day, if I would have to guess." He said as he remembered the way her eyes shined with boredom when she arrived at the rock.

Mikoto thought for a moment but then nodded her head in approval. _'It's true. Sakura has been stuck in the dinning hall all day.' _She watched as Sakura took the sword in her hand and experimented with it. _'It's the least I can do.' _She thought with a smile.

Kakashi felt a small smile try to creek up on his face, but he held it down. He was happy that he could, for once, make his daughter happy. Even if she didn't realize it.

Sakura grasped the sword in her hand and was stunned by how heavy it felt. _'The way Kakashi wielded the weapon it seemed like there was no weight to it at all.' _She held onto the sword and lifted it up with her right arm. When her arm was pointing straight, she used enough momentum to drive the sword downwards.

Mikoto had to admit, Sakura had some strength hidden underneath her cloths. She heard the rumors of a sword's weight, but when Sakura drew that sword straight up, she could see the muscles bulging out of her arms. _'I guess all those chores we gave her have their hidden benefits.' _Mikoto thought.

Itachi followed her awkward movements with a calculating eye. There was something about her movements that showed that she had used a weapon before. His eyes narrowed. _'Something is different about her…' _He couldn't place his finger on it though.

Kakashi watched Sakura play around with the sword. He felt happy that he could give her a moment of happiness, from his own actions, but he also noticed that it did not look like this was her first time she touched a weapon. His eyes scanned her body as her muscles tensed under the swords pressure. It was then that he realized something. _'Her muscles are well developed for a servant…' _He thought with narrowed eyes. _'There was a piece of information that Iruka forgot to mention...' _He thought as he heard footsteps coming towards them.

Sakura, although, was having the time of her life, heard faint footsteps approaching them. _'Shit!' _She shouted at herself, her eyes grew wide, and she tossed the sword towards Kakashi.

At first Kakashi was going to tell Sakura that she needed to give the sword back, but, she hurled the sword towards him. He caught it with ease and sheathed the sword, just in time too, for the King came into his view.

Sakura scurried towards Mikoto's side and bowed deeply towards him as he approached them all. His cold eyes shifted towards everyone, except Sakura, and cleared his throat. "I see you've got my message." He told Mikoto.

Mikoto nodded her head. "Yes Fugaku." She said. "Now what is this meeting about? Why couldn't we do it inside?" She asked.

Fugaku stared at his wife for a few seconds before he continued on with the meeting. "It would save time." He said, answering her two questions with a simple sentence. He turned towards Kakashi. "Did the training go well?" He asked.

Kakashi nodded his head. "You're son has quite a technique if I do say so myself." He told Fugaku, he was about to go on but Fugaku turned away and faced his son. _'Typical.' _Kakashi thought.

"Itachi." Fugaku called out, causing the male to step forward. "You are to go down in the village and picking up a few items for me." He said as he handed the Prince a scroll. "Inside is the list of items I need you to get." He stated.

Itachi bowed down to his father and nodded his head. "Hn." He said.

Fugaku sent his cold black eyes down on Sakura. "As for you." He ordered out in a menacing voice, hoping she would shake in fear.

Sakura looked the King in the eye and watched as his eyes reflected cruel thoughts. _'This can't be good.' _She thought to herself as she waited for his orders.

"You are going with him." Fugaku said as a small smirk graced his lips.

Mikoto glared at her husband. "Fugaku! You can't do this!" She shouted. "The town is dangerous and I need her to set up the dinner for tonight!" She angry stated to her husband.

Fugaku disregarded his wife's tantrum and continued to stare down at Sakura. "She is a servant right Mikoto?" He coldly said.

Mikoto lowered her head to the ground and nodded her head. "Yes, but that doesn't mean…"

"And, like any other servant in this castle, they are scum." He stated as he narrowed his eyes down at Sakura. "They were born and raised in the streets. She knows more ways around our town than Tsunade's spies." He said with disgust. "That's why she is going with Itachi." He said. "So she can see what happens to those that disobey me." He glared down at her.

Sakura felt her teeth grinding against each other. _'How dare he call me scum!' _Her hands clench by her sides. She felt the desire to rip him limb for limb for his accusations but knew that Kakashi would kill her before she could lay a finger on him. _'That good for nothing prick of a King. He thinks he is so fucking powerful. It's only because he's got guards on him.' _

Kakashi concealed his emotions while Fugaku continued to bash his daughter. He wanted to knock some sense into the King and tell him that, that was his daughter he was talking about, but he couldn't. _'It's either have her be safe from harm or have her be in harms way…and I will do no such thing.' _

Mikoto stared at her husband with shocked eyes. "Fugaku! You can't say that!" Mikoto shouted as she ran after her husband. "She was a…" Her voice was cut off, for she was out of hearing shot.

Itachi simply stared as his mother jumped around his father, trying to convince him that Sakura was not the scum that he described. With a shake of his head he opened the scroll and inspected the to-do list.

'**Obtain sword from Takashi.'**

'**Gather reports from Guards.'**

'**Inspect the prisoners.'**

'**Obtain scrolls.'**

Itachi rolled the scroll up and started to walk away. "You better keep up." He said as he continued to walk towards the castle.

Sakura was shot out of her thoughts when she heard his voice. _'God damn him. He doesn't even wait.' _She thought as she sprinted after the elder Prince. _'This is going to be interesting…' _She told herself as she followed him.

Kakashi watched as Sakura caught up with the Prince. He knew something was going on with them, yet, he couldn't place his finger on it. _'Seems like my daughter is more of a mystery than I thought.' _He chuckled to himself as he made his way off the training grounds. _'Now to figure out what happened to my daughter that gave her muscular definition.'_

Sakura walked beside Itachi as they began their journey towards the crowded village. _'It is like hanging around a stone wall but at least I can see a few people in town.' _She thought with a bright smile.

Itachi watched her from the corner of his eye. She was smiling, why? He had no idea. He was intrigued that his father would place her in his hands for the errands. _'Having her follow me around will give me more insight into what makes her tick…' _

His thoughts stopped once they walked down the crowed cobblestone path of Konoha village. The people cleared the road and watched Itachi as he made his way towards Takashi's shop. _'People need to mind their own business.'_

Sakura ignored the people on the street and continued to follow Itachi to a blacksmith's shop. When they entered the place weapons were hanging everywhere. Knives, swords, crossbows, maces, and even those hard to find axes. Her eyes scanned the big wooden desk that stood in the center of the room, no one was at the desk. _'Isn't there suppose to be a person at the desk at all times?' _

Itachi knocked on the wood and heard feet scurry from the back. It was a few minutes before a man, around the age of thirty, came to the desk. Sakura felt a smirk coming on when the man stopped dead in his tracks and began to suck up to Itachi.

"Prince Uchiha!" He said in a shocking tone. "I'm s-sorry for m-making you wait. I-I'll be right b-back with your sword." He stuttered shyly as he ran in the back again.

Itachi stood patiently as the man came back with a sword wrapped in a deep red cloth. He placed it in Itachi's hands and bowed deeply. "I hope you enjoy the sword Prince Uchiha." He said modestly.

"Hn." Itachi threw the sword to Sakura and without thanking the man he exited the shop.

When they got a few feet away Sakura erupted into laughter. Itachi stopped walking and quickly turned to her. "What is funny?" He asked her in a blank tone.

Sakura's laughter took a few minutes to die down, and when it did, she wiped a tear from her eye. "That man looked like he was going to shit his pants!" Sakura said as another giggle came to her lips.

Itachi narrowed his charcoal eyes down at her. "And?"

Sakura stared at him with wide eyes. "It's like he was scared you'd kill him if he tripped over his own two feet." She told him.

Itachi rose an eye brow at her. "Maybe you should take after his habits." He simply stated trying to ignore the way her face fell and how her eyes lit up with anger.

"Excuse me?!" She shouted to him as she continued to follow him to the end of the village gates. "So I'm not afraid of your little family…" She stated as she watched his posture stiffen a little. "Does that kill your Uchiha pride?" She asked with a smirk.

Itachi couldn't believe what this servant was implying! His family was known for their icy glares and harsh tones. Even other royalties would be shaken up by their harsh tone, yet, this mere servant wasn't afraid? He turned around and stood in her path. "Why?" He demanded an answer.

Sakura looked up at him. Emerald clashed with black as a glaring contest ensued. Of course Sakura was the first one to withdraw but she continued to hold his glaze. "Because…" She said with an evil smirk. "I've seen scarier things than your father." She stated.

His face was set in stone but his mind was running in circles. She was a servant right? Then how could she see anything more frightening than his father? "Hn." He said as he continued down the path.

Sakura felt a pride smirk crawl up her face. _'He backed down.' _She thought with excitement. _'I guess he wasn't expecting that now was he?!' _She thought with much enthusiasm.

After they checked in with the guards, at the entrance of Konoha, they made their way towards the library. When Itachi opened the doors not a soul was present in the archives. Sakura couldn't understand it, this place was beautiful with the arch doorways, stain glass windows, and royal red carpet that traveled through the whole building made of stone.

As they walked through the place Sakura couldn't help but smile at the memories. When the Castle's library was of no use to her anymore, she needed to find another place for information, and that's how she ended up here. _'I wonder if I will see anyone here…' _She questioned.

Itachi walked around in circles in the gigantic place. He never had been in this place before, but his father specifically asked for scrolls from here. _'I'll ask a worker.' _He told himself, his annoyance raising.

As they walked around the library, Sakura saw someone in the corner of her eye. _'Black hair?' _Sakura asked herself as she tried to imagine which one of the workers had black hair.

"Sakura?" A voice said behind her.

Itachi stopped in his tracks and abruptly turned toward the voice. Sakura, on the other hand, took her grand old time facing the person. Right before them was a middle aged woman with long black hair tied in a low set pony tail. Her white robes trailed behind her as her blue eyes stared at Sakura in astonishment.

"Hey there Aya!" Sakura greeted in delight. "Long time no see."

Aya gathered the pink haired woman in a bone crushing hug. "I thought I'd never see your smiling face in here again!" She explained as she began to release Sakura. "I guess you got bored of our books?" She asked.

Sakura shook her head immediately. "No!" She defended as she held up her hands in defense. "I've just been busy at the Castle." She said as a blush graced her cheeks.

Itachi watched the conversation with even more interest. _'She reads? But having women read is forbidden…' _The more Sakura was revealed to him the more he began to realize Sakura was not one to follow the rules. _'This is why she has gotten whipped so many times…' _He concluded to himself.

Aya smiled at Sakura and nodded her head. "I understand." She said as her attention turned to the male behind her. "And who is…" Her words stopped dead as her face paled. "Prince Uchiha!" She exclaimed as she bowed deeply. _'I hope I didn't get Sakura in trouble.' _

Sakura side glared at the Prince and pulled the woman to her regular position. "Don't worry about it Aya. We cam here to get something." Sakura stated softly.

"Scrolls." Itachi informed the woman as they followed her across the archives. He watched as Sakura interacted with the older woman. _'She seems more kind hearted and soft spoken…' _It was a different side of Sakura that he had not seen yet. _'This one is a little vixen.' _He thought to himself with a smirk. _'Even better.'_

Sakura felt like their errands flew by quick after they left the library. Before Sakura could comprehend where all the time went, she was being dragged into the kitchen by Anko.

"Where have you been?!" She growled out as she let go of Sakura and tossed a goose down on the counter like a sack of flour.

Sakura watched as the frustrated Anko slammed down the lethal knife right on the goose's neck, making the head roll off the counter, and spin across the kitchen floor. "I'm sorry Anko." She said as her eyes followed the head. "But the King made me follow Itachi like some love sick puppy." She growled out.

Anko cut a hole in the goose's stomach and plunged her hands into the open belly. Her hands began to extract the guts from the dead animal. "And why the hell would that bastard do that? He hates our kind and wants us all to die in a fucking hole."

Sakura watched as Anko took her anger out on the dead bird. _'Thank god that bird is dead.' _She thought as Anko continued to skin the bird and separate its legs from the sockets. "Don't ask me why." Sakura said as she folded her arms over her chest. "The bastard wanted to strike fear into me."

Anko snorted. "Ha. Like that will ever happen." Knowing full well that Sakura was a hard person to discipline.

The door on the end of the kitchen swung open to reveal Mikoto walking in with eight girls, lined up in an organized row, behind her. Sakura bowed towards Mikoto and flashed the younger girls a smile. Anko turned away from her chopped up goose and bowed as well.

Mikoto smiled at the sight of Sakura. _'Seems like my husband's errands didn't effect Sakura in the slightest…not like I thought it would.' _"Nice to have you back Sakura." She said with a smile.

Sakura flashed Mikoto a soft smile. "Thank you My Lady." Then her eyes fell to the little girls behind Mikoto. "I take it, it is that time again?" Sakura asked.

Mikoto nodded her head. "Yes." She said as she motioned for the girls to line up in a row so Sakura and Anko could inspect them. "This will be their dinner test." Mikoto said with a smile. "They are a very promising group of girls."

Sakura nodded her head, while Anko, snorted and turned back around to tend to her goose. Sakura watched as the girls looked down at the floor in shame. Shaking her head, Sakura squatted down to their height, and flashed them a friendly smile. "Don't worry about her." Sakura said, as she felt Anko sending her a glare. "Just follow me and you all will do fine."

The little girls looked up at Mikoto for permission and when Mikoto nodded her head they dispersed to Sakura's side. "Now girls, Sakura will be in charge. I will be outside eating, so try your best." Mikoto said encouragingly.

"Yes Queen Uchiha." They all said in unison.

"My Lady." Sakura called out before Mikoto could exit the room.

Mikoto turned around and stared at Sakura. "Yes?"

"Who are we serving tonight?" Sakura questioned.

Sakura watched as Mikoto's face faltered a bit. Her lips came up into a fake smile and her eyes were emotionless. _'Something is wrong.' _Sakura observed while Mikoto tried to make it look like everything was ok.

"You will be serving, my husband, Itachi, Sasuke, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and our…guest of honor…" Mikoto tried to hide the disgust that began to take form in her eyes. "Sir Leonard, and I." Mikoto finished.

Before Sakura could thank the Queen she already exited the room. Her emerald eyes narrowed at the door in suspicion. _'If Leonard is here, that means he's got to be bringing a guest. Which means I better be on guard for anything suspicious.' _

The little girls looked up at Sakura. "Excuse me…Miss Sakura?" One asked in a timid voice.

Sakura shook her head from side to side and stared down at the little girl, with blonde hair, that spoke. "Yes?"

"What do you want us to do?" Asked another little girl with red hair.

Emerald eyes scanned the group of girls as her mind began to form their jobs. "I need two here." She said as she pointed to the sink near Anko. "Another pair here." Her index finger pointed to the table in the middle of the room with a bunch of spices decorating the table. "And I need the rest of you to come over to the drink table." Sakura ordered out.

While Sakura gave out orders to the eight girls Anko couldn't help but chuckle to herself. _'You would think the way Sakura ordered these maggots around that she had military blood in her.' _When one of the girls cut their finger's Sakura ran to their side and began to address the small wound. _'But then again…she acts like a mother to those kids…' _Anko thought with a sad smile. _'It's probably because she wants them to go back to their homes…'_

Sakura stood by and watched as the girls got to work. _'This is going to be an interesting dinner.' _She thought. _'If that bastard Leonard tries anything I will not hesitate in my job.' _Her eyes looked out of the small window and watched as the sun began to descend down the horizon. _'Only four hours before show time.' _Sakura thought as she began to help in the kitchen. Her mind was circling around the information, plans, observations, and mission that pertained to Leonard. If she was going to catching him in the act, she needed her information to be dead accurate. _'A very interesting dinner indeed…' _She told herself as a smirk graced her lips.

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! I got this chapter out for you all before Easter. Since I will not be near a computer at all Sunday I figured it was an early Easter present for you all!! :) I hope you all enjoyed that very long chapter! :) And as you can see it was action packed!! :)

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's Note:_** Ok, ok, ok! You all can't come after me at once! Please??? I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, I was so busy and I've finally have had some time to post you guys an awesome chapter! I hope you all can forgive me!!! :( please?? :)

Dedicated to: skyblueocean, White Sakura of Hope, TheVampyricAssassin, just-let-me-go, WithTheseBloodshotEyes, midnightblue123, WithTheseBloodshotEyes, just-let-me-go, TheVampyricAssassin, White Sakura of Hope, and skyblueocean

* * *

The Uchiha castle was as hectic as ever. Mikoto was running around her mansion sized room, trying to find the best looking dress for the evenings festivities, Fugaku was busy making escape plans with Kakashi, Itachi and Sasuke, while Sakura and Anko were organizing the kitchen for the big night.

"Hurry up with those spices Maggots!" Anko yelled at the top of her lungs, watching the little girls stumble over towards her with the desired spices.

Sakura, very swiftly, spread out a dozen tin pans and filled the crystal pitchers with wine and other liquors that would be used throughout the dinner.

She looked around the room while placing the pitchers in the center of certain trays. _'This is it Sakura.' _She told herself. _'It's time to finally catch Leonard in the act.' _

When Sakura was done with the trays, she clapped her hands together, and watched the little girls assemble into a straight line right in front of her. With a small smile Sakura knelt down to their level and cleared her throat.

"Now girls." Sakura began to say, causing Anko to quietly clean her station. _'What does Pinky have to say?' _Anko thought as she watched the pep talk from the corner of her eye.

"I want you all to do your best." Sakura told them with an encouraging smile. "Just remember everything Queen Mikoto has taught you and you will do fine."

Sakura watched as the little girls looked at each other and smiled happily. _'I remember when I had to do my final dinner…I was nervous beyond belief…' _Sakura stood up straight and shot Anko a smile. _'…that is until that one over there told me "Don't sweat over this shit kid".' _Sakura never understood how she became friends with the crazy cook, but she was glad there was someone in the castle that helped her.

The sound of clanging knives being thrown down on the table was a signal for everyone to stop horsing around and get back to work. Anko shot Sakura a look while the girls went to the trays and began to decorate it with food.

"Sakura." Anko said as she stepped back from the counter and examined her roasted duck and chopped up chicken.

"Hm?" Sakura said as she grabbed Anko's masterpiece and handed it over to the girls, who waited patiently, to beautify the plates.

"Who's greeting the guests?" Anko asked with an all knowing smirk plastered on her smug face.

Sakura's eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped to the floor. "SHIT!" She screamed, forgetting, to watch her mouth around the girls.

Anko's smirk grew wider and she couldn't help but laugh, on the inside, at Sakura's reaction. _'She's so predictable.' _

"I've got to get down there!" Sakura yelled in a hurry as she twirled around violently and sprinted out of the kitchen as fast as lightning.

Anko snorted at Sakura's actions but stopped when she heard the girls' converse with each other.

"I can't wait till we get out of here." One of them said as she separated the chicken pieces on different trays.

Anko didn't move a muscle and continue to listen to the soon to be snobby princesses.

The blonde girl looked up at her companion and tilted her head. "Why Sarah? Everyone is nice here."

Sarah snorted. "Are you kidding me Gemma?" Her eyes raced to the door Sakura just stormed out of. "They have no manners at all."

Gemma shot her head to the ground. "But I thought that Miss. Sakura was nice…"

The brown haired girl on the other side of Sarah shook her head. "Oh get real. She's only nice because Queen Uchiha told her to be."

Before the conversation got out of hand Anko stood behind the three girls and cleared her throat. She watched, with amusement, as they all jumped up, out of fright and scrambled to the other side of the table. "What did you say Maggots?" Anko growled out.

"We were talking about where to put the chicken legs." Sarah lied through her teeth as she flashed Anko a fake smile to ensure her lie.

Anko glared at the girl and shook her head. "I better not hear a word out of your mouth for the rest of the night."

The girls nodded their head timidly and continued on with their jobs, but this time, they did not say a word. Anko walked over to the table in the middle of the room and sat on it. _'Ah…peace and quiet…just the way I like it.'_

Sakura raced down the hallways, her wooden sandals pounded against the stone floors, causing anyone to hear her coming. As her legs carried her to the big oak door in the front of the castle, Sakura focused on the windows that seemed to follow her through the castle. The sun was almost covered by the hills; it wouldn't be long until guests would arrive. _'Hurry up Sakura!' _She screamed at herself as she ran faster.

Skidding to a halt, she stopped mere inches away from the main door. Realizing that she had to look presentable, Sakura took several steps back, and tidied herself up. She took several deep breaths before she was able to catch her breath. She stood up tall and then an echoing bang came from the other side of the door.

Taking the elegant door handle in her grasp, Sakura pulled the large door open, to reveal Tsunade and Jiraiya standing there in their dressy attire. Sakura smiled brightly at them and stepped out of their way to let them in.

Tsunade wear a simple red dress. It was a sleeveless tunic with a small black wool shawl that hung on her shoulders. A leather belt was fastened around her waist and leather shoes wrapped around her ankles. Sakura felt her mouth drop a little. _'Damn…Tsunade should dress up more often.'_

She turned towards Jiraiya to see him dressed in simple black breeches, with leather shoes, and a white under shirt with a slim fitting black coat. _'Even Jiraiya cleans up nicely.' _

"Welcome to the Uchiha Castle." Sakura said as she bowed and then closed the door.

Tsunade smiled at Sakura and Jiraiya nodded his head. "Where are the King and Queen?" Asked Tsunade.

Sakura turned away from the door and pointed towards the split staircase that was in the center of the room, covered in red carpet. "King Uchiha is up the stairs and to the left. He is conversing with the Lord and the Princes." Her hand moved towards the other side of the staircase. "Queen Uchiha is up the stairs and to the right. She is still getting ready." Sakura said.

"Right." Tsunade said as she flashed Sakura a hidden smile, Jiraiya winked at her, and the two went their separate ways. Tsunade went up towards Mikoto's room while Jiraiya went towards Fugaku's room.

Tsunade walked towards the end of the hallway until she saw a room with the door cracked open. She knocked on the door and waited for Mikoto's servants to let her in. When Mikoto saw Tsunade, she got up from the backless red chair, and gave Tsunade a bone crushing hug.

"I'm so glad you could make it." Mikoto said as she took a step back from the stunned blonde and allowed her servants to finish dressing her.

Tsunade smiled at Mikoto and nodded her head. "Do you think I'd leave you alone with all the men?" Tsunade said with a smirk. "Besides I don't trust that Leonard bastard being this close to you or Fugaku."

Mikoto nodded her head in understanding. "Yeah you're right." She said. "I am more afraid for the girls and my servants."

Tsunade rose a blonde eye brow at this. "What do you mean?"

"Well, this is the dinner where my girls serve the food…" she stopped in mid-sentence when she saw Tsunade's eyes narrow. "There is nothing I can do about it!" She said as she rose her hands up in defense. "It would look suspicious if I changed the date of the final dinner."

Tsunade softened her glare and nodded her head slowly. "I guess you're right Mikoto."

"My Queen…" Interrupted a servant. "You're all ready for your dinner." She said in a quiet tone as her eyes remained glued to the floor.

Mikoto twirled around in place and watched the fabric dance around her. "What do you think Tsunade?"

Tsunade examined the queen. She wore a dark blue form fitting dress. The dress was fastened in front by a row of black buttons; the sleeves were tight and long with small slits at the wrists closed by an Uchiha fan button. Her robe cascaded down to her feet and the Uchiha fan, as always, was right in the center of her back. "You look beautiful." Tsunade said with a reassuring smile.

"Shall we take our leave?" Mikoto asked with a giggle as the two of them exited the room.

Meanwhile, down on the other side of the Castle, the men were talking about plans and actions for the evening. "I don't think Leonard will come here alone." Jiraiya said with a straight face.

Fugaku glared at Jiraiya but knew the spy was correct. _'It would be suicidal for him to come here alone. We could kill him in a flash, no witnesses.'_

"We can not give up any indication that we know what Leonard is up too." Kakashi said as his grey eyes scanned everyone's face. "This could be our chance to figure out his plan entirely."

"What ever happened to the apprentice finding out information?" Itachi asked in a bored tone. He had not heard much about the offending spy and it worried him. _'With the knowledge he possesses, we do not want him out of our sights.'_

Fugaku and Kakashi stared at Jiraiya expectantly. "Well Jiraiya?" Fugaku asked impatiently.

Jiraiya felt his throat close up. What was he suppose to say? "Well you see…" He started off with a chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. "…we've hit a wall." He lied to them. In all reality Sakura has been too busy to be sent on a mission and none of their other spies are skilled enough to track down Leonard's loose ends.

Fugaku growled. "Great. But we can't dwell on it now." He said as he pushed the chair out from under him and stood up, causing everyone to do the same. "We must get to the door."

As they walked out Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at the exciting event. "This is going to be an exciting dinner huh Itachi?"

Itachi side glanced at his little brother. "Hn." He said as they walked out of the office and met up with Mikoto and Tsunade.

"Let's take the back way Fugaku." Mikoto said in a soft tone as she took her husband's arm and pulled him towards the back staircase on the other side.

While they took their sweet time getting to the front door, Sakura stood there as still as a leaf, waiting, expecting Leonard to knock on that door any minute. _'I should have guessed.' _She thought with a grunt. _'A bastard… and late. What a perfect combination.' _

Right when Sakura was about to switch standing positions a knock was heard on the other side of the door. _'Speaking of the devil.' _She told herself as she opened the door and stepped aside.

"Welcome to the Uchiha Castle my Lord." Sakura said, with a bow, as Leonard and another person stepped inside the castle.

Leonard turned around and stared at Sakura. "Where is the King?"

Before Sakura could answer Leonard's question his partner took a step forward and shook his head. "Leonard, there is no need to be so rude to the kind servant." He said as he pushed his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose.

Sakura watched the new guest with wary eyes. _'Who is this guy…?' _Her eyes scanned him for any weapons or clues as to who he was. He wore the typical Lord outfit with the off-white breeches, purple coat with a white undershirt, and black shoes, but there was something off about him. _'Great another nut job, he might be one of Leonard's accomplices.'_

"Please excuse Leonard Miss." He said as he approached Sakura. "He's a little cranky." He said with a smile.

While Sakura was trying to figure out who this white haired man was, Mikoto, Fugaku, Sasuke, Itachi, Kakashi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya came down the stairs just as the mysterious man started to approach Sakura.

"Who is this guy?" Tsunade asked as her mother instincts came to life.

"I don't know." Kakashi said he was becoming a little tense.

"Well let's find out!" Jiraiya said as he pushed everyone in front of him out from behind the wall.

Sakura saw the group of people pop out from behind the wall from the corner of her eye. Placing a fake smile on her face, Sakura took a step back and bowed deeply towards the Lords. "The King and Queen are here." She said as she moved out of the way for the King and Queen to come through.

Fugaku and Mikoto stood in front of Leonard and his guest and nodded their head in a synchronized manner. "Glad you could make it Leonard." Mikoto said with a small smile.

Leonard bowed down towards Mikoto and shook Fugaku's hand. "I would never miss an invitation sent by the Uchiha family.

'_Yeah, we all know you wouldn't.' _Sakura snorted inside her head as she exchanged secret signals to Tsunade asking who the hell this guy was.

"Who is your friend Leonard?" Fugaku asked in the typical cold Uchiha tone.

Leonard turned towards the man on his side. "King and Queen Uchiha I would like you to meet Kabuto."

Kabuto walked up to them and bowed respectfully. "Lord Leonard informed me about your dinner and I took this opportunity to offer you a proposal." He said in a silkily polite tone.

Fugaku eyed Kabuto with a watchful glaze but slowly nodded his head. "Let's not start it here." He said as he motioned for everyone to follow him. "Dinner is ready."

Leonard, Kabuto, Fugaku, and Mikoto were up in the front leading the way, while everyone else followed behind them.

"I don't like this guy." Sakura said in a whisper to no one in particular.

Sasuke side glanced at Sakura with a disgusted look. "Who cares what you think." He said causing Sakura to glare at him. "You're just a servant." He coldly stated as he walked up to the front to join the King and Queen.

Before anyone could comment on Sasuke's remark, they reached the double mahogany wooden doors, and proceeded to sit themselves down in their respected seats.

Sakura skillfully disappeared into the kitchen where she got the girls ready for the first course. "Now remember girls." Sakura said. "Balance the tray and then lift up the pitcher."

Everyone on the other side of the kitchen door was sitting in silence. Tsunade's amber eyes examined Kabuto as he smiled innocently at everyone. _'Something is wrong here. Why is this Kabuto here? Who does he represent?'_

Kakashi never felt so anxious in his life. He had to keep his hands from flying down to the sword, at his hip, and slicing Kabuto's throat right then and now. His senses were on high alert and his muscles clenched in anticipation waiting for Kabuto to attack.

The kitchen door swayed open and eight little girls heads popped out carrying trays on top of their hands and went from person to person, filling their cups with the pitcher full of wine.

"Are these the lucky girls that are taught by the wonderful Queen?" Kabuto asked as he smiled sweetly at the little girl that poured him wine.

Mikoto slowly nodded her head. "Yes." Was all she allowed herself to say.

Kabuto nodded his head. "They are trained well." He commented as they disappeared behind the door. "Normally the girls make the mistake of tipping the jar far enough for other to see the top of the liquor…but they poured it perfectly."

Fugaku nodded his head. "The princesses that come out of our castle are the most skilled in the land."

"Oh that I do not doubt King Uchiha." Kabuto said as he brought his glass to his lips and took a sip of the sweet tasting wine.

"The offer you spoke of a few moments ago…" Kakashi changed the subject. Tsunade and Jiraiya showed no signs of knowing who this guy was, and it scared him. _'If they haven't heard of this guy before that means we are in for a rude awakening.'_

Leonard watched the scene and couldn't help but smirk to himself. _'They have no idea what is going on. Looks like Fugaku is as clueless as a drunken man. Perfect.' _He thought evilly as he inwardly smirked. _'Kabuto should be able to do his part of the bargain.' _He thought to himself as he sat back and watched the night unfold.

"Oh yes my proposal…" Kabuto said with a smile. "I think it would be better for me to announce my proposition when food comes." He said with a grin. "Not a good idea to do business on an empty stomach."

Sakura stood at the kitchen door, straining, to hear what was going on in the room. _'This does me no good to be behind the scenes.' _Sakura looked around at the next rations that needed to be brought out and smirked. When the girls got back into their line Sakura stood in front of them before they exited the kitchen. "Before you go girls." She said with a smile.

"Pinky move!" Anko shouted as she pushed Sakura out of the way. "If we don't stick to the schedule our heads will be served on a platter!"

Sakura stumbled out of the way but turned around immediately to watch what was going on in the other room. Her emerald eyes followed every hand gustier and lip movement that was made by everyone. _'Kabuto keeps commenting about the Castle and how lovely it looks. Mikoto looks like she's about to kill him. Kakashi keeps insisting he explain himself about some proposal, the princes, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and even Leonard are very quiet…'_

Sakura pulled her head back behind the door when the girls came back to the kitchen carrying their empty tins. Anko grabbed the empty tins and shoved them to the counter, she turned abruptly on her heel, and shot Sakura a defiant stare. The girls watched the older women with scared, yet curious, eyes.

"What the hell was that?!" Anko yelled.

Sakura smiled sheepishly towards Anko and rubbed the back of her neck. "He, he. What do you mean Anko?"

Anko's face began to turn bright red and her brown eyes were about to pop out of her head. "You almost made the girls late Sakura!" Her hands balled into a fist as they began to swing around. "All because you wanted to talk?!"

Sakura's brain worked a mile a minute, trying to think of a damn good excuse that would calm down her crazy friend and prevent her from making a bigger scene. "Anko!" Sakura rose her voice, making Anko's fists stop in mid-air. "Do you remember when what happened during my dinner?" Sakura asked as she walked over to the table and took the two heaviest plates full of food. "The Queen had disturbances everywhere!" She continued on while balancing the trays on both hands. "And I wanted to make sure these girls got the full experience since Queen Uchiha isn't here." Sakura said with a straight face.

Anko's anger slowly fell from her face. "Oh." She said, as she remembered Mikoto's distractions. "Well you should have told me ahead of time." Anko finished as she shook her head and held the door open.

Without having time to smile at her victory against Anko, Sakura was thrown out of the kitchen and into the dinner room. Her steps showed much skill as Sakura walked between each and every guests and placed a portion of food on their plates.

"Now Kabuto…" Fugaku said as he sipped his wine and took the cooked goose in one hand. "…what is this proposal of which you speak?"

"Right." Kabuto said while pushing up his glasses. "My King has ordered me to seek out a partnership with you, King Uchiha."

Fugaku eyed the young man before him with calculating eyes. _'There is something off about this lad.' _"And who is your King." Fugaku demanded.

Kabuto flashed him a reassuring smile. "King Uchiha, my King runs the kingdom located on the east end of the country." Kabuto informed them.

"What is the Kingdom's name of which you live in?" Mikoto asked softly.

Kabuto smiled politely at Mikoto. "It has no acquired a name yet." He said while rubbing the back of his head out of shame.

"You said your town is on the east side correct?" Tsunade spoke out for the first time that night.

Leonard felt his insides curl hearing Tsunade speak. The entire land knew of Tsunade's special skill and it would do him no good if she figured out his plan. _'Let's see Kabuto get out of this one.' _He thought with a hidden smirk.

Kabuto stared at the intimidating blonde and nodded his head. "Yes that is correct…Miss?"

"Tsunade." Tsunade stated impatiently. "I have heard of your small town." She said while placing her elbows on the table and folding her hands under her chin, causing her amber eyes to focus solemnly on Kabuto. "It is said that you possess major ores and massive amounts of clothing materials..."

Kabuto nodded his head. "Your statement is correct." He said, causing Fugaku to straighten up in his chair.

"Your King wishes to possess a partnership with me?" He cut in as his brain began to work on how much supplies he could receive out this new naive kingdom.

"Yes he does…" Kabuto looked around the room and stared at the door. "But…before I get any further into our discussion…may I please use your facilities?" He asked with a shy smile.

Mikoto perked right up as her charcoal eyes landed right on Sakura. "Of course Lord Kabuto." She said with a smile. "Sakura.." She called out.

'_Ok I should leave now. There is no other information that I can gather that Tsunade or Jiraiya won't already know. ' _Sakura thought to herself as she made sure that she placed out every part of the main course to the guests.

Right when Sakura was about to go through the kitchen door Mikoto called her. "Sakura can you please escort Lord Kabuto to our restrooms."

Sakura spun around, quickly, on her heels and was at Lord Kabuto's side in a flash. "But of course my Lady." She said as she bowed deeply towards Mikoto and Kabuto. "This way my Lord." _'Now I can get some insight into this Kabuto character.' _Sakura thought as they left the dinner hall.

While Kabuto and Sakura walked out, Itachi narrowed his eyes at the white haired man. _'That man…something is familiar about him but what?' _As his cold black eyes moved towards Sakura he felt his gut make subtle twitches of warning. He didn't trust the white haired man around his new subject of interest. _'He maybe polite to our faces, but, he could show his true colors when he exits this room.' _Then his eyes narrowed into slits. _'With no one to see what happens…' _His thoughts ended when the door was shut with a soft thud.

Sakura walked beside the quiet Lord with a watchful eye. _'He seems too quiet for someone that was just pleasing the King and Queen a moment ago.' _

They walked along the deserted hallway under complete silence until they reached the master bathhouse. Sakura turned towards the quiet Kabuto only to see him looking around the castle. When he finally realized she stopped walking he smiled shyly at her. "We are here Lord Kabuto." She told him.

Kabuto smirked at her and nodded his head. "You are dismissed." He simply said with a wave of his hand.

Sakura said nothing and left him to do his duties. Or so he thought. _'Does he think I would leave him alone in the Castle unattended? Not a chance.' _

When Sakura was sure she was out of his eye sight, she jumped up onto the stone ceiling, slipping her hands into the groves of the stone, making her able to travel across the ceiling towards Kabuto. _'Let's see who you really are Kabuto…' _Sakura said with a smirk as she reached for her long knife from underneath her dress. _'And if you're troublemaking is worth the killing...' _

Sakura stopped right above Kabuto and made sure that her whole entire being was covered by the night. Her emerald eyes watched as Kabuto tapped his foot four times against the wooden floor. _'What is he transmitting?' _Sakura wondered as her eyes narrowed at his seemingly casual tapping foot.

It didn't take long for a servant to come out of the shadows next to Kabuto. Sakura stared at the servant and the color left her face. _'Nick is the double agent?!' _She bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from jumping down and beating the man on the spot.

"You called Lord Kabuto?" Nick said as he bowed towards Kabuto.

Kabuto pushed his glasses to sit on the bridge of his nose. "The plan is in place. I am setting up the Uchiha to invite us into the ball which he will be hosting. Now hold you're end of the bargain."

Nick's blonde hair whipped him in the face as he nodded affirmatively at Kabuto's order. "Do not worry my Lord. I will have the servants eating out of my hands."

"Good." Kabuto said with a smirk as he waved his hand. "Now go before the pink haired servant comes and finds us together…"

Sakura moved as fast as lightning from her position to the other side of the hallway. _'Don't think I'd let you go that easily.' _She said as she jumped down from the ceiling, hid her knife back into her dress, and proceeded to walk down the hallway towards Kabuto.

Kabuto growled out when he saw Sakura walking their way. "Never mind." He snarled out. "Just make an excuse as to why you are here."

"Lord Kabuto I see you are done…" Sakura said while she bowed towards him. Her eyes then caught the sight of Nick. "What are you doing here Nick?" Sakura asked as she played the part of an innocent servant.

"I was walking down the hallway when I saw the Lord standing here…I thought he was lost and was about to escort him back when I saw you walking down the hall." He said in the most convincing voice, with a small smile added to his act.

'_Oh bull shit.' _Sakura thought to herself as she nodded her head and went along with his act. "Well since you are here, do you mind helping me retrieve the royal dessert plate?" Sakura asked with a cute little grin plastered on her face. "I'm too short to reach it." She added with a little giggle at the end.

Nick nodded his head. "Sure Sakura." He said. "I'll meet you at the closet." He said with a straight face while he waved off and made his way down the hall to the closet.

"Are you ready to go back Lord Kabuto?" Sakura asked, switching into servant mode.

Kabuto nodded his head and began to follow Sakura back to the dinner room. _'Orochimaru made a good pick with that lad. This servant, Sakura, trusts him very much…good.' _He finished his thought as Sakura opened the mahogany doors. _'Very good indeed.' _He added as he inwardly smirked.

"Kabuto come sit down." Fugaku said with a straight face. "You're dismissed." He stated coldly to Sakura.

Sakura didn't care about Fugaku's attitude at the moment, she was more worried about the spy that lurked around the corner. _'Now it's just you and me.' _Sakura thought as she sprinted towards the closet to see Nick standing there with the plate in his hand.

"Oh good you got it!" Sakura strained her voice to sound excited and grateful.

Nick dully nodded his head and placed the elegant tray in her hands. "Yeah, here." He said as he started to walk off.

Sakura glared at his back and placed the tray down on a side table. "Care to explain your relationship with the bastard with the white hair?" Sakura growled out.

She watched as his steps stiffened and how his muscles tensed up. "What do you mean Sakura?" He said as he forced his feet to pivot around so he was facing her.

Sakura glared even harder at him and stepped closer to him. "You know exactly what I mean." She said in a menacing tone as she lifted up her dress.

Nick watched as her dress lifted up. "No I don't." He said harshly as his eyes shifted back to her face. "But if you wanted to get frisky with me, at least wait till our guests leave." He finished with a wide smirk.

Sakura felt the need to slap her head against the wall. _'Men and their dirty thoughts.' _She shook her head and pulled out her long knife. Nick's grey eyes went wide as he took a step back. "Can't you take a joke Sakura?!" He said with an awkward chuckle in the back of his throat.

Sakura's emerald eyes went a shade darker. "Oh I can take a joke." She began as she backed him up against a wall. "But you know what I can't take?" Sakura whispered in his ear. She waited a minute before continuing. "Is double agents that think they will never get caught." Sakura finished off with a smirk.

She felt his body stiffen at her words. "H-How did y-you…?"

Sakura didn't give him the chance to let him explain himself, for, she took her knife and pressed it, with all her might, against his throat.

Her iron blade pierced through his esophagus with one accurate slice. Sakura watched as the cold knife glided from one side of his throat to the other. Every layer of skin and tissue cut loose from the base of his neck. His head slowly came free and disconnected with a sickening pop sound. Blood splurged everywhere and flew across the wall, the floor, and all over Sakura. His body limply fell with a soft thud, and joined the rolling head, on the floor.

She stepped away from the blood bath and knelt down on the ground. His unblinking grey eyes lifelessly stared back at her as she glared at him. "You should be more careful with your identity Nick." Sakura said angrily, while she stood up, and placed the knife back under her dress. _'Now I have to put on another acting face.' _She thought with a grunt as she smeared the blood across her face. _'Gotta make it look like I was a victim if I want to do this right.' _

When Sakura was in front of the mahogany doors she made her breathing turn into heavy pants. _'Show time.' _Sakura told herself as she worked up her tears and busted into the dinner.

As the giant doors came flying open, everyone looked at the bloody Sakura. Mikoto stood up from her chair as a gasp left her mouth, Fugaku glared, Itachi's brow rose slightly, Jiraiya and Tsunade stared at each other and then at Sakura, Sasuke brightened up assuming something interesting has happened, Kakashi felt his fatherly instincts kick in, Kabuto and Leonard exchanged glances at each other and stared silently at the panting servant.

"Sakura!" Mikoto gasped out as she rushed over to Sakura, but made sure to keep a good few feet away from her. "What happened?!"

Sakura made her eyes looked back and forth between everyone. "I-I don't know!" Sakura panted out as she began to let tears roll down her cheeks. "N-Nick and I w-were getting t-the dessert p-plate, u-until…" Sakura made herself hiccup in the middle of her sentence.

"Until what Sakura?!" Mikoto yelled, obviously scared for Sakura's safety.

Sakura added a few panting breaths until she allowed herself to continue on with her acting. "H-His dead!" Sakura shouted as she made herself cry even harder.

Fugaku jumped up from his chair and glared at Sakura. "How exactly did he die?"

Sakura was about to answer but Itachi cut in. "Father, we should investigate first." Itachi told his father.

Fugaku revealed nothing, but, nodded his head. Itachi turned to Sakura. "Lead us to the body." He ordered coldly.

Sakura shot a frightening look to Mikoto, who in return, could only nod sympathetically. "Y-Yes Prince U-Uchiha." Sakura made herself sound more frightened as she walked shakily back to Nick's decapitated body.

'_Is a death what makes this girl crack?' _Itachi thought as he followed her towards the dead body. _'She doesn't seem like the type to cave so easily…unless…she's putting on an act…but why?' _

When Sakura came about one hundred feet away from the body, she no longer needed to lead everyone to the scene. Fugaku was the first to sprint towards the red painted walls, followed by Itachi, Sasuke, Kakashi, Kabuto, and Leonard. Jiraiya and Tsunade walked behind them at a leisurely pace, while Mikoto slowly walked towards the sight behind everyone else.

Fugaku, Kakashi, Kabuto, Leonard, Itachi and Sasuke stared at the separated body unable to speak. Jiraiya and Tsunade surveyed the gash and proceeded to look everywhere for where the attack could have came from. _'Although, I have a good idea who is was…' _Tsunade thought with a frown. _'She better have a good explanation for this.' _

Mikoto walked over to the men and covered her mouth, trying to contain her gasp of fear and shock. "Dear heavens…" She said out loud. "What could have done this?"

"You mean who Mother." Itachi said as his eyes narrowed at the decapitated body before him. _'Where did this attack come from? Was it Kabuto?' _He asked himself as he took a quick glance at the quiet man standing near his father. Itachi started to pull all types of theories out of his head, trying to place all the pieces together.

Kabuto scanned the body with emotionless eyes. _'How peculiar…' _He thought to himself as he pushed his round shaped glasses up against his nose. _'I didn't see any hidden assassins in the Castle…' _His eyes shot to the blood covered Sakura. _'Unless she killed him…' _He felt himself chuckle at his outrageous thought. _'Impossible. Women do not possess the capability to see the sight of blood, let alone, kill a man.' _He looked around again. _'Then who killed him? Orochimaru will not be happy about this…'_

Leonard just shook his head from side to side. _'Now how are we going to get the servants to sneak in Orochimaru?' _He watched the unmoving Kabuto from the corner of his eyes. _'Oh well. He'll receive the wrath of Orochimaru…not me.' _

Kakashi couldn't believe the sight before him. _'Whoever killed this servant showed no remorse or second thoughts about the murder.' _He then peered closer at the body. _'They also have experience with a blade…but it is too close of a cut for a long ranged attack…which means…' _His eyes became hard and looked at Sakura, who was looking anywhere but at the body. _'They got in-between Sakura and this servant. Which means the sharp object could be not be anything longer than a kitchen knife' _He felt his fists clench by his sides. _'Even though she's a servant, I can't keep her safe! _He thought in shame as he looked back at the corpse lying at his feet.

Fugaku shook his head from side to side. _'And I was close to making the deal with Kabuto too…' _He thought angrily. "I think you should leave." He said emotionlessly to Leonard and Kabuto.

Leonard looked up from the graphic sight and bowed towards the King. "Yes Fugaku." He answered obediently.

Kabuto took Fugaku's hand and shook it firmly. "Maybe we can complete our affairs another time." He said with a tight squeeze.

"Hn." Fugaku answered as he walked Leonard and Kabuto to the door. Mikoto followed her husband, and behind her, everyone else followed suite.

Once Kabuto and Leonard left the premises, Fugaku turned towards Sakura, giving her a rigid stare. "What happened." He demanded an answer out of the "shaking" Sakura.

Sakura pretended to be shaking and took a big gulp to surpass her nerves. "He got t-the dinner p-plate for m-me and w-when we w-were walking b-back…" Sakura took another gulp and continued to force herself to stutter every now and then. "…someone i-in a b-black cloak w-was in f-front of me and b-before I k-knew it…" Sakura summoned her tears once again for dramatic affects. "H-he was d-dead."

After Sakura told him everything all the information he wanted to hear, he turned away from Sakura and stared at everyone else. "Everyone will come to the lecture hall now." He ordered as he turned around, causing his robe to spin around behind him, and stomped to the room.

Mikoto, being the level headed person in their relationship, flashed Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade an apologetic smile. "I think we all better head over there." She said as she took her two sons, by the arms, and followed behind Fugaku. Kakashi took one last look at Sakura before, he too, followed behind the King with Mikoto and the princes.

Sakura stared at Tsunade and Jiraiya and watched as their eyes stared down at her with anticipation. Sakura waited, until she couldn't hear Mikoto's footsteps any longer, to explain herself to her mentors.

"Mind explaining why you decided to kill a man?" Tsunade growled out. "You are making Jiraiya and I keep up after your mess."

Sakura, now out of her acting, glared at Tsunade. "Excuse me?!" She semi-shouted. "I just killed a double agent! I was doing my job!"

Tsunade waved her finger in front of Sakura's face. "No. You're job is to retrieve information not kill the information."

Sakura's mouth dropped to the floor. _'What the hell is wrong with her?!' _"Tsunade I already got the information and by the time Kakashi and his men would figure it out, Nick would be gone!"

Tsunade's already planned retort was forgotten when she heard Sakura's statement. "What did you find out?"

Sakura smiled victoriously at Tsunade's change in tone. "Nick is a double agent working for both Fugaku and with Kabuto. They didn't say who their leader is, but I have a gut feeling that it isn't good. We already know that Kabuto has to be acquainted with Leonard, but I think they are working together because they have to. Whoever this boss is…he's good." Sakura concluded.

Tsunade nodded her head. "Ok Sakura you can go and…." Tsunade looked her up and down. "…get dressed into something not covered in blood." She finished, as she turned on the balls of her feet, and walked down the hall to the designated room.

Jiraiya looked at Sakura and flashed a smile in her direction. "I enjoyed your performance Sakura." He complemented her. "I had no idea you could act." Sakura watched as his smile slowly turned into a smirk as he examined her body. "I think you just gave me an idea for my new book."

Before Sakura could hit him in the head for being such an old pervert, Jiraiya scurried away from her, and sprinted off to join Tsunade. _'Yeah, you better run.' _Sakura thought with a giggle as she walked down in the opposite direction. _'I can finally change out of this disgusting dress!' _She thought with a happy smile, forgetting all about the rotting carcass on the other side of the room.

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED!

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_**Author's Notes:**_ Well everyone!!!! This is the longest chapter I have ever written and I hope you all enjoyed it!! It was action packed and I didn't end on a cliffhanger!!! :) I hope that makes you all forgive me for my extremely late update!!!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! :)


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Heyy there everyone!! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter, I know I enjoyed reading all of your reviews!! Thank you soo much for taking the time and effort for reading the last chapter. I had a few requests for some more Itachi and Sakura action so I'm going to give you just that!!! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! :)

Dedicated to: nickeledwards, just-let-me-go, skyblueocean, Takakuma, DarkIkari8520, midnightblue123, TheVampyricAssassin, TeamTHEFT, Siah Yasana, shadow miko, Sara1965, ..windoW, sally, and xXbunnyholicXx

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The weather was the finest anyone could pray for. Doves flew through the cloudless sky without a care in the world; the sun was shinning intensely, illuminating its dazzling yellow and orange rays to the world. Children were running through the dirt streets of Konoha with smiles plastered on their faces. Women and men conversed with each other while watching their sons and daughters have the time of their life.

Sakura sat in a pine tree resting her back against the giant trunk of the one hundred year old specimen. One leg was bent while the other was limply swinging back and forth. She looked up towards the sun and let out a deep sigh. _'You would think that having the day off would make a servant happy…' _She returned her attention to the kitchen knife that was twirling around her fingers. _'…when in all actuality I'm bored out of my mind!' _Sakura shouted to herself as she stopped twirling the knife and threw it to the side of her.

She expected to hear a thump when the knife was, very violently, released from her grasp but there was anything. _'That's not a good sign.' _She told herself as an annoyed grunt came from the back of her throat. With a lazy sigh, Sakura stood up, balancing herself on the tree branch, and jumped from branch to branch looking for her kitchen knife.

Itachi was minding his own business, going through several sword techniques, trying to keep himself entertained, when a kitchen knife flew through the trees. Without taking a second to process why a knife was thrown at him, he caught it gracefully with one hand, and spun around with his sword in the other.

His black charcoal eyes, expertly, scanned the trees for any indication as to who threw the knife. _'Who dares to throw a knife at me.' _He angrily thought, but stopped short, when he heard the leaves of a tree started to rustle. His eyes narrowed and his muscles tensed. He expected someone to jump from the tree and pounce on him.

Emerald eyes shifted from left to right, looking for her knife. _'If I loose that knife Anko will kill me for sure.' _Sakura thought with a depressed sigh. As she looked further ahead a grassland came into view and her mood slightly rose. _'Maybe the knife is over here!' _She assumed with joy.

She swung her body over to another branch and walked to the other side of the tree. The leaves began to shake, from her body rubbing against them, trying to get through to the other side.

When she jumped down to the ground footsteps were all she heard before she allowed her body to nimbly dodge the fierce strike from the attacker. Sakura looked to the attacker and felt her mouth drop to the floor.

Itachi didn't give the attacker any time to plan their next attack on him. Once they jumped out from the branch he took his great-sword and charged towards them. _'He won't know what hit him.' _He thought with an evil smirk as he swung the sword powerfully at the "attacker".

The evil smirk faltered when Itachi didn't feel his sword connect with the intruder's jugular and hear the ear piercing scream he anticipated. _'I do not miss.' _He thought angrily as he pulled back his sword getting ready to attack again.

"I know you don't like me Uchiha." He heard. "But that doesn't mean you can kill me." He knew that voice, that sarcastic, yet relaxing, voice. His black eyes moved from his sword and came face to face with fiery emerald eyes. _'Sakura.' _

Sakura glared at him. "Well?!" She shouted. "Are you at least going to say you're sorry?" She asked as she crossed her arms and maintained her "threatening" look.

Itachi revealed nothing and stared at her with emotionless eyes. He sheathed his sword and walked towards Sakura. Sakura watched him move closer and held her ground.

He stopped a few feet in front of Sakura and dangled the knife between them. "Lose something?" He asked with a smirk.

Sakura watched the knife swing back and forth. She didn't answer Itachi's question, but, she reached up for the knife. Itachi's smirk grew as he lifted the knife out of her reach. "Give it to me Uchiha." She growled out.

Itachi simply took a step back and began playing with the knife. "I am the one that should be ordering you around Sakura." He said mockingly, while continuing to play with the knife, and watching the pink haired woman before him, become infuriated.

"If you gave me the fucking knife I wouldn't be telling you to do anything!" Sakura shouted out as she took a step closer to him, making them only a few inches apart, once again. "Now unless you want Anko to shove that damn knife up your ass I suggest you give it back." Sakura said, while trying to contain her anger. _'Just count down from ten Sakura. Take a deep breath…One…Two…Three…' _She told herself.

Itachi stared down at the petite servant. "Who is the Prince here?" He asked her as his tone switched from playful to serious.

Sakura glared at his statement. Her emerald eyes, boldly, stared into his charcoal eyes. _'There are specs of red in them.' _She noticed, while she grabbed the knife's blade, with his hand still on the handle. "You think your position in life scares me Prince Uchiha?" She said in a snooty tone while emphasizing the word Prince as she spoke.

Itachi never broke eye contact with her and pulled the knife back towards him. _'As I pull this knife away she'll have to show some type of painful emotion.' _He thought as his black eyes stared her down.

To his surprise Sakura's grip tightened on the blade and she pulled the blade to her side. His eyes watched her like a hawk, looking for any sign of pain or suffering, but there was nothing, nothing but anger and determination. _'She's just full of surprises.' _He thought with a inward smirk as he allowed his hand to let go of the knife.

Sakura wasn't expecting him to let go of the knife that quickly but she shoved the knife back underneath her linen thread belt. "See? That wasn't so hard." She said as she stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing manner.

Itachi said nothing as his attention turned away from her pink little tongue to her bleeding hand. _'She's not even fazed by the deep cut that is on her palm.' _"Fix your wound." He ordered.

Sakura blinked at him for a few seconds and looked down at her palm. She lifted it up and inspected the wound. "This little thing?" She exclaimed while pulling the injured piece of skin wider. "That's nothing." She said as she turned around on the balls of her feet and looked around at the various plants that surrounded them.

Itachi watched her walk over to a lifeless plant and pull it from its roots. _'What in the world?' _He stood in silence piecing together her actions. She knelt down to the ground and sliced the plant down the middle of the stem. Clear ooze started to pour out of the plant and she plucked the leaves off the plant. She took her dress and ripped off a two foot long piece of clothing off the bottom of the dress. _'Seems like every time I see her, she ruins her dress. Normally women don't want to ruin their clothing…but Sakura is not a normal woman.' _

Sakura poured the clear ooze across her open cut and then placed the leaves in the center of the wound. The ripped piece of clothing was tied around her palm tightly causing Sakura to smile at her work. She turned back around to Itachi and held out her palm. "See? No big deal." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.

His hand shot out to inspect her work. "Where did you learn that?" He asked with a edgy voice. _'The doctors in the infirmary are the only ones that practice medicine.' _The more he spent time with Sakura the more she shattered the status quo.

"You pick up a few things when you're on your own." Sakura said with a sigh as she pulled her hand away from the rough Prince.

"Hn." Itachi said as they stood there in awkward silence.

Sakura could feel the awkwardness in the air. She rubbed the back of her head and giggled. _'It wouldn't hurt to ask him.' _She told herself, a plan forming in her head.

"What?" Itachi grunted out, afraid of what is going on in the woman's mind. _'It is anything but serious.' _He assumed.

"It doesn't look like you have anything to do." Sakura looked up at him. "Actually, come to think of it, you seemed just as bored as I was." Sakura flashed him a smile. "So I was wondering if you'd like to venture around town with me."

Itachi black slim brow rose up in question. _'What is she planning?' _His eyes narrowed at her. "I have already seen the town." He stated coldly.

Sakura laughed in his face. "Ha, ha!" She chuckled out. "You think you've seen Konoha?! Oh, that's comical." She gasped out while her chuckling lessened.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at her. "What are you implying?" He threatened as he took a step towards her.

Sakura tilted her head up and stared at him. "What you royals see and what I see are two different towns Prince Uchiha."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the woman. _'What does she mean we see different towns? The townspeople act differently when they see a royal than when they see someone like them.' _"How do I see the same Konoha as you?" He asked.

Sakura smiled brightly at his unspoken yes. She took his hand and spun around. "Oh trust me." She said as she sprinted towards her room. "I know just the thing."

Itachi allowed Sakura to pull him through the woods and up the back of the castle. He had no idea why he agreed with going along with her but he had nothing to do and she always provided some form of entertainment. _'And if my father asks where I was, I was getting to know the townspeople.' _He told himself already with an excuse in hand.

'_Why did I ask him to come along with me?' _Sakura asked herself as she lifted herself onto the windowsill. _'I'm giving him all the secrets of the townspeople…but then again…' _Sakura went into a sitting position and opened the window. _'I could knock some sense into Itachi and show him how to help the villagers.' _Sakura crawled inside, looked over her shoulder, and tilted her head towards her room telling Itachi to follow her.

Itachi, with little effort, lifted himself threw the window. He looked around and saw straw beds everywhere. _'Must be the servant's quarters.' _He followed her wordlessly and stopped short when she stopped by a pile of hay.

Sakura scanned the hay, looking for a hole. She bent over and fished around the straw bed for the clothing, with one giant tug, a bunch of leather attire was revealed. Itachi watched as she separated the clothing into two piles.

Sakura took one set of clothing and walked towards the opposite end of the room. "I'm going to get dressed first." She told him pointing to the corner. "If you peek I'm going to kill you." She threatened, waving the knife in his face. "The clothing on the bed is for you. Put them on." She ordered him as she walked towards the corner and began to undress.

Itachi examined the leather clothing with a critical eye. _'How come she has man clothing?' _He asked himself as he stripped off his royal clothing and placed on the socially degrading garments. Right when he was done changing he heard a shuffling sound. Sakura came out of the shadows with her servant cloths in hand. Itachi eyed her up and down. The leather dress clung to her in all the right places, showing off her well shaped, perky, breasts, her curvy body, and round bottom. The small heel gave her a few extra inches, making her butt more firm and her leg muscles more noticeable. _'Looks like Sakura has a body after all.' _He thought darkly as his eyes took in every curve her body displayed.

Sakura could feel his eyes move up and down her body, her jaw clenched, and she threw her clothes down on the straw bed. "My face is up here Uchiha." She growled out, causing Itachi to slowly return his, amused, black eyes to her face. "Men." Sakura grunted underneath her breath. "Hope you don't mind." Sakura said with a evil smirk as she took his garments, and hers, and buried them deep into the straw.

When she finished hiding the clothing, Sakura turned around and felt her mouth drop to the floor. Before her was a buffed up Prince covered in pure leather. The leather shirt showed off his pecks and muscular definition with perfection. Her emerald eyes started to drift downward, but she stopped herself. _'Sakura! Get a hold of yourself!' _She scolded herself as she turned her head to the side, trying to hide the fact that she was just checking out the Prince, not missing the sly smirk that appeared across Itachi's face. "Let's go." Sakura said as she moved towards the window and jumped out.

'_This will be a interesting day indeed.' _Itachi thought, with the famous Uchiha smirk, while he followed behind Sakura from the Castle to the backside of the town.

"Before we go in." Sakura said making her feet come to a halt. "You are my cousin, not the Prince." Sakura told him with serious eyes.

"Hn." He answered. _'Why is she taking me into the town secretly if they don't want royals to see them in action?' _Itachi wondered as he continued to follow Sakura.

Itachi watched as they blended into the crowd like any normal villager. Sakura was smiling and waving to other citizens, while merchants came up and tried to swindle money out of them. _'So far nothing different than what I see.' _He told himself.

Sakura weaved around the cluster of people looking for a specific shop. When her emerald eyes landed on a small wooden shop her steps became faster and her mood went brighter. "Here we go." She said with a smile as she grabbed Itachi's arm and forced him through the people.

"Hey!" One man shouted as Sakura pushed him out of the way. "Ungrateful little bitch." He growled out.

'_The new side of Konoha is slowing revealing itself.' _Itachi concluded as he sent the disrespectful man a death glare.

Sakura ignored the man's harsh comment and broke free from the crowded streets. When they were finally in front of the shop she released Itachi's arm and took a deep breath. "You will be blown away." Sakura warned him as she opened the door.

The door opened with a loud screech. As the two walked through the doorway everyone eyed them but continued on with their business. A large man with a beer belly came over to them and flashed Sakura a toothy smile. "Back again I see Sakura." He said.

Sakura nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm showing my cousin the town." She turned her head towards Itachi.

The man nodded his head. "Well this is a one-of-a-kind town. Hope you kids enjoy it." He said with a wave of his hand as he returned to the middle aged woman unable to figure out which pot to purchase.

They walked to the back of the store and stood in front of a stone wall. "There is nothing here." Itachi said.

Sakura looked up at him and smiled. "Keep your pants on Itachi." She said as she tapped three times on the stone wall. "Watch." She told him as the stone wall opened up.

Once the stone wall was gone, Sakura took a giant step forward, dragging the cautious Uchiha behind her. "Welcome to the real Konoha." She told him as she pushed him out of the dark room and into the light.

At first Itachi covered his eyes from the bright light, but removed his hand away from his eyes, and what he saw made his emotionless face drop a centimeter. _'How are we unaware of this place?' _He asked himself as he watched the even busier city run around.

Merchants were chasing after random people on the street, yelling at them to buy their items; children were running in and out of adults legs trying to catch each other, while animals ran wild in the streets. It was nothing like the orderly Konoha Itachi saw on the outside.

"What you see Itachi." Sakura said as she walked beside him through the streets. "Is only what your father wants everyone else to see." She told him as she picked up a ball and threw it to the children. "He wants to keep everything neat and orderly." She finished her ranting .

"Hn." Itachi said as a shady man came up to them out of the shadows and opened his coat wide. "Care to take a look?" He asked in a scratchy voice.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the sketchy man in front of them. His coat filled with stolen clothing and vases. "No." He stated coldly as he took Sakura, by the arm, and turned in the opposite direction of the street vender.

"I will not take no for an answer." He said with a cat-like grin.

Sakura felt Itachi's grip on her arm tighten. _'This could end badly.' _She thought to herself, but, shook her head. _'Who am I kidding?! Seeing the Prince loose his cool is better than eating cherries!' _

Itachi stopped walking, spun around, with speed only a knight could possess, his grip was off Sakura and on the man's throat. "I said…" He growled out as his eyes narrowed dangerously at the shaking man. "…we are not interested."

The shaking man gazed at Sakura, causing Itachi to block his view of her. "Oh." He said with a wide perverted grin. "Possessive aren't you?" He said with a chuckle. "You don't want to buy your girlfriend something nice?"

Sakura felt the need to bash her head against the wall. _'Where does this guy come from?' _She asked herself. _'I guess this has gone too far.' _Sakura thought with a bitter smile.

Itachi, on the other hand, wanted to bash the man's skull into the wall, but years of controlling his emotions held him back. _'These people have no manners.' _He thought as he looked at Sakura from the corner of his eye, looking for her reaction to the vender's bold statement.

Sakura stepped around Itachi and glared at the vender with rigid emerald eyes. "We said we are not interested." She stated darkly as she stepped closer to the man.

Itachi released his grip on the man and watched Sakura work her magic. _'This is her turf after all.' _He commented as the man backed up against the wall scared of the petite woman. _'What a humorous sight.' _Itachi thought.

"Oh come on sweet cheeks." He said as he eyed her up and down. "You've got a good one here boy." He told Itachi. "She's a spitfire."

Sakura huffed and, with a twist of her body, she slammed her high heeled foot into his face. A crack was heard and the cloaked man covered his nose. "You cunt!" He shouted at her. "You broke my fucking nose!" He swore out.

Sakura smirked at him. "Next time you will take no for an answer then." She finished with a feisty smile.

The man shot them a glare and ran as fast as he could into a dark alleyway. Sakura turned towards Itachi and sighed. "That.." Sakura pointed to the alleyway the man ran down. "Is just one of the many venders you will run into." She told him. "But come on!" She said changing the subject completely. "There are places to go and people to see!"

Itachi followed Sakura around the town quietly. He watched her exchange banter with elderly men, giving hints in a street gambling game. The two men cried with joy when their broken glass piece fell onto the winning dirt patch.

"Thank you!" One of the cheered out and pulled Sakura into a bone crushing hug.

The other one sat there crying while collecting the couple of golden coins the head man gave him. "Now we have enough to get some booze!"

Itachi shook his head at the foolish elderly men. _'This is why they are poor.' _He commented as he watched them run over to the bar. _'Their morals are on booze and women.' _He thought in disgust as he watched Sakura giggle at the aged men.

"You'd think the two buffoons would learn where they should and shouldn't spend their money." Sakura said to Itachi.

Itachi tilted his head to the side telling her to elaborate more on her thoughts. Sakura took this hint and shook her head. "But I would do the same thing." She said with a shrug, causing Itachi to stare at her with an eye brow raised. "When you are old like that…" Sakura said with a smile. "You learn to live life to its fullest. What else do you have to lose?" She finished.

Itachi stood as still as stone. _'Her view points are fascinating.' _She turned on her heels and began to walk deep into the heart of the city, with a deep thinking Uchiha, behind her. _'Why care what happens to you when you are old? You only have a few years left. Live it out while you still can….interesting way of live.' _Itachi felt himself chuckle on the inside. _'Imagine father's reaction to that way of thinking. Completely irrational and spontaneous.' _

They went to other stores, where Sakura helped out a few of the owners, with carrying their products to other parts of the town. Itachi never saw so many crates filled with pottery in his life. As he placed down the last crate on the wagon, he wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. He heard a small grunt come from beside him and pots jingle under the rough handling. Itachi looked at the sweaty Sakura and shook his head. "This is a man's job." He said as he leaned against the wagon.

Sakura glared at Itachi. "I still lifted as much as you Uchiha." She growled out, while straightening out her back. "Actually…I think I did a better job than you." She said with a smirk.

Itachi stood up straight; his frame towered over Sakura. His head tilted down to her height, while Sakura strained her neck to look up at him. "You think so?" He mocked her, his face mere inches away from her own.

Sakura felt his cool breath on her face; he was a foot taller than her, making her body seem even littler. Sakura, trying to forget about how close they were, stood on her toes and stared him dead in the eyes. "Oh I know so." She said with a sassy smile.

Itachi felt desire burn through him. Her eyes spoke of a challenge, her whole attitude kept him on his guard, and here she was ready for the taking. His head lowered down even more, he could hear her soft breathing, feel her small breaths fan his face, and in just a few inches he would claim those small lips with his own!

Sakura knew she was stepping in forbidden territory when she started to flirt with him, but, it was too much fun! He allowed her to toy with him, yet, he toyed with her back. Take right now for example, he was allowing her to challenge his manhood, allowing her to be this close to him, and now…here he was getting even closer.

"Thank you for helping me Sakura!" Shouted the store owner.

Sakura broke away from Itachi and smiled brightly at the elderly woman. "Don't worry about in Anna." She told her. "It was our pleasure."

Itachi growled at the interruption. _'I was so close.' _He thought as he blinked emotionlessly at the two women conversing. _'Don't worry Sakura.' _He thought with a inward smirk. _'You won't get away that easily.' _

Anna nodded her head and placed two gold pieces into Sakura's palm. "I'm afraid that's all I can give you." She said with a frown. "I haven't had very many customers lately."

Sakura shoved the coins back into Anna's hand. "Keep it." She said with a reassuring smile. "We just moved the crates to help you Anna. We didn't expect money from you."

Anna looked at Sakura with a small smile. "May the gods bless you child." She said as she turned towards Itachi. "You have a very good girlfriend." She said with a grin. "She's a keeper!"

Sakura slapped her forehead at the statement, Itachi, on the other hand, just smirked. "He's not my boyfriend Anna." Sakura defended.

Anna shook her head from side-to-side. "Deny it all you want dear, I know you don't want the whole town to know about it, but come on! Do you think we are stupid enough to believe you two are cousins?" Anna said with a giggle. "You two look nothing alike."

Sakura shook her head at the giggling woman. "Nice to see you too Anna." She said while she pulled Itachi by the shirt and away from the woman.

"Bye Sakura!" Anna said while still picturing them together with little children running in-between their legs. _'Awe! They would be adorable together!' _

Sakura felt her steps speed up, trying to get away from the crazy woman. _'What's up with everyone saying Itachi is my boyfriend today?!' _She thought with a low growl.

Itachi walked beside the fuming pink haired woman with a small smirk on his face. _'The best is yet to come Sakura.' _He concluded as a plan began to form in his mind.

Sakura said nothing as she led Itachi deeper into the town. As she looked up at the sun, she could see the pink and orange hues spreading across the sky. _'It's getting late.' _Her steps quickened, hurrying it get to her last stop. "We have just one more stop to go to." She told Itachi.

"He said nothing but continued to follow Sakura into another unseen part of the town he thought he knew so well. He watched as the stone homes turned into wooden huts. Children were wearing cotton burlaps and running around barefoot. Their toys were rocks, sticks, and clay, not the typical dolls or toy soldiers.

Adults had brown woolen dresses or tight beeches and a shirt. In the center of the small community a fire pit was made and a giant pot was placed on top of the burning fire. Itachi watched as everyone took out all the food they had and threw it into the pot. He watched as unknown food was thrown into the pot and boiled underneath the extreme temperature. The adults conversed with other and paid no attention to the two misplaced people walking their streets.

Sakura smiled at everyone that looked their way and continued on her path. When Sakura stopped, they were standing in front of a deteriorating hut. The roof was no longer made of wood and was covered with leaves and grass. The foundation of the shack showed rotting spots and holes in the wall, providing light inside the home.

Right as Sakura was about to knock on the door a little boy came running up towards her. "Sakura?!" A small squeaky child's voice shouted out.

Sakura turned around and before she could comprehend the situation, a blonde blur came flying towards her and knocked her down on her butt. Emerald eyes blinked in confusion, for a second, until Sakura realized who it was that knocked her down. "Hey there River!" She said with a bright smile as she dragged the young boy into a bone crushing hug.

River hugged Sakura back and backed away from her, offering his hand to help her off the ground. "Long time no see!" He said with a smile.

"It has been a while huh?" Sakura said as she ruffled his blonde curls.

The little boy laughed but stopped short when his big brown eyes landed on Itachi. "Who's this guy?" He asked as his eyes narrowed at the giant man.

Itachi looked down at the boy and said nothing. Sakura, however, just stood there and giggle awkwardly. "He's a friend of mine River." Sakura said, knowing the boy wouldn't believe her if she said he was her cousin.

River circled around Itachi with a critical eye. "Just so you know buster!" River shouted taking Sakura and latching himself onto her. "She's mine!" He said with a victorious grin.

Itachi simply rose an eye brow at the little boy's comment but said nothing. _'We will see about that little boy.' _

Sakura shook her head at River. "River be polite!" Sakura said while trying to hold back her amusement. _'He says the strangest things.' _She thought with a heartwarming smile.

"What is going on out here?" A light voice shouted as the hut's door was pushed open.

Sakura, River, and Itachi looked to the opened hut and watched as a woman shakily walked out of the hut. Pale hands held onto the stick for dear life while her legs worked overtime trying to move from one point to the other. Sakura smiled brightly at the woman and ran to her side, helping her walk outside. "Hey there Akako!" Sakura cheerfully shouted. "How are you feeling?" She asked while helping her sit on the ground.

"I have my good days and my bad days." Akako said with a smile as a coughing fit started. Her whole body shook from the intensity of the coughing and her face turned red from the pressure of it all.

River ran into the house, brought out a woolen blanket, and bundled his mother in it. "There you go mother." River said softly.

Itachi stood in the background, watching Sakura interact with the lower class woman and child. He watched the older woman struggle to stand up and sit down. Her coughing fits sounded painful and deadly, yet, it seemed like she wasn't phased by her physical state. No matter what she did she always kept a smile on her face.

"It has been a while Sakura." Akako stated, while holding down another coughing fit.

Sakura frowned guiltily. "Yeah…sorry about that Akako." She said while rubbing the back of her neck. "I didn't think your condition would get this bad."

Akako shook her head and waved her hands at Sakura. "Oh don't kill yourself over it Sakura." She smiled. "Everyone is always busy, and I know that the Castle must be very bu…" Her sentence was cut off as a violent attack of coughs crawled up her throat.

Sakura helplessly watched Akako cough her brains out in pain. _'The pain must be unbearable.' _She thought sadly. When the attack subsided, Sakura got down on both knees and lifted her dress up to her mid thigh. Akako watched wordlessly as Sakura pulled out glass vials filled with different kinds of liquids. River sat next to his mother with a giant smile on his face. _'Finally mother will get better!' _He hoped.

Itachi watched Sakura combine the liquids together and hand them over to Akako to drink. His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "Those are…" He stopped in mid-sentence when he saw warning emerald eyes glaring at him.

Sakura turned her attention back to Akako, who was swallowing every last drop of the medicine, and pulled out a year supplies of the same liquids. "Take this every week Akako." Sakura said as she tentatively handed over the vials of medication. "We'll see if this kind will make you feel better." She assured with a tender smile.

Akako smiled greatly at Sakura. "Thank you so much Sakura. I don't know what I would do without you." She said as she placed the remedies into her blanket. "I just hope you don't get in trouble for doing this."

Sakura snorted, very unladylike, and waved off Akako's worried thoughts. "Don't worry about me Akako. I'm more worried about what they would do to you if you were caught."

Akako nodded her head. "Where do you find all these unknown medicine Sakura? I'm sure I've never seen anything like this before."

Sakura's face went pale. "If anyone asks you Akako…" Sakura said in a serious tone, causing River and Akako, to listen carefully to Sakura's explanation. "Tell them I sold them to you threw the black market."

Itachi stared at Sakura with hidden disbelief. _'Does she know the punishment for those who sell stolen items on the black market?'_

River's mouth dropped wide open. "Sakura! You've been to the black market?" He asked excitedly. He always wanted to see what it was like to see royal luxuries.

Akako smacked her son upside the head. "Don't get any ideas River." She warned. "Sakura, that's very dangerous." She said in worry.

Sakura nodded her head. "Don't worry Akako." She said as she grabbed hold of the woman's grimy hands. "As long as I can get you medicine that is all that matters."

Akako eyed Sakura not believing that Sakura should risk her life for her vanishing one. "If you say so Sakura." She said. "But you better leave before anyone else sees you." She then turned her attention to the forgotten Uchiha behind Sakura. "Even though you didn't say much young lad, it was still nice to meet you." She then sent a look to Sakura. "Keep an eye out for this woman could you?" She asked.

Sakura squeezed Akako's hands with reassurance and flashed her a smile. "See you later Akako." She said in almost a whisper.

River and Akako waved as Sakura and Itachi walked back towards the better part of town. "Thanks again Sakura!" River shouted at the top of his lungs hoping she would hear.

Sakura gave him a thumbs up and walked backwards until her eyes could no longer see them. Sakura didn't say anything to Itachi as they continued to walk back towards the Castle. Once they entered a forest Sakura turned to Itachi and took a deep breath in. Her footsteps stopped as she faced him and placed her arms out in front of her. "Ok. Before you go and tell your precious daddy that I'm stealing medicine from the infirmary, at least hear me out." She said while daringly staring him in the eyes.

Itachi stared at the woman before him, completely emotionless. "So you are the reason why the medicine has been decreasing." He stated coldly.

Sakura nodded her head without shame evident in her eyes. "Yes." She admitted. "And you can whip me thousands of times and I'll continue to st-…"

Itachi couldn't take it anymore! The way she was standing there with an atmosphere of arrogance and rebellion made it harder for him not to pin her down to the ground. Now no one was going to interrupt his actions! He was going to wait till she stopped ranting, but, it looked like she wouldn't stop.

Without a second thought, he sent his head forward and claimed her lips with his. He felt a growl come from the back of his throat. '_She smells very sweet, yet, tangy.'_ He thought with approval. Her small lips felt like velvet against his and his body pressed hers against a nearby tree, making sure, she would not escape.

Sakura's eyes went wide. The last thing she was expecting was the Prince to suddenly attack her with kisses. His body pressed up roughly against hers and his hands roamed all around her upper body, leaving nothing untouched. She felt his tongue slide across her lips, demanding, to enter her mouth.

At first Sakura felt her world become blurry and a burning sensation rippled threw her. Her eyes slowly closed shut as her hands began to sensually run across his muscular chest and then crawled up towards his long hair. She felt his hands become bolder as they traveled south, it wasn't until he bit down on her lip that she came back to reality. _'This is insane Sakura!' _She yelled at herself. _'How could I have become so willing this easily?!' _Her eyes snapped opened no longer going to allow him to have his wicked way with her.

When Itachi felt her go from a stiffened posture to a softened one, he pressed on more. _'Not like I was going to be gentle anyways.' _He thought as he sent his hands to play in the new territory. First they went over her cute little breasts. They weren't as big as some women possessed, but they couldn't be overlooked. _'Just perfect.' _When he groped them, he heard a small moan come from the back of her throat. This reaction caused him to become bolder. He wanted to taste her, but she wouldn't open for him! Before he was about to bite her lip, featherlike touches wandered around his chest.

Her hands could only distract him for so long, and with all the arousing tension in the air, the only solution was to travel further down her body. Her hips were petite, it made his hands seem huge, but it fueled the desire even more. When she didn't allow him access to her cavern he bit down on her lip, causing her to squeak and start to slowly bleed.

Sakura returned her hands to his chest. _'Ok asshole let's see if you like this!' _When she noticed that he wasn't stopping his ministrations on her hips, she descended her hands down his shirt and made them rest on the belt loops of his pants.

Itachi broke away from the long heated kiss, eyes shinning with hunger, and eyed her hands. _'Still very feisty.' _He thought as he flashed her a sexy smirk.

Sakura lowered her long eye lashes and stared at him in a seductive manner. She tightened her hold on the belt loops and felt his body stiffen with anticipation. _'Oh don't you have the wrong impression.' _She flashed him a sassy smile. _'This should be good.'_

Itachi felt a pool of heat grow in his pants. She was asking for him to work his magic on her! He lowered his head towards her and shoved her hips towards his own, causing him to grunt in satisfaction. Sakura couldn't hold down her moan, but it was no use, that didn't mean she was going to stop with her plan!

"You know Uchiha." Sakura said in a whisper causing him to stare down at her with his red, hungry, eyes. Without further warning she moved her hands up to the center of his chest and violently pushed him away. "I know some women would throw their panties at you." She said with a glare. "But I'm not one of them."

Itachi didn't expect to be pushed away, though he never showed it. Here he thought she was going to bring him to a world filled of pleasure! First he narrowed his eyes at the stubborn woman, but, it just made her that much desirable. _'It makes the hunt just that much more exhilarating.' _

He walked up to Sakura, keeping a distance of two inches, away from her. "You soon will be Sakura." He said in a seductive manner. "Let the games begin." He finished with a smirk.

Before his words could sink into her head, he was already inside the Castle. She stood there, puzzled by his words. _'What does "Let the games begin" mean?' _She thought as her eyes shifted from side-to-side, as if the ground could provide her with an answer. It wasn't until she replayed the whole scene that she finally got his meaning. _'Oh god!' _Her face dropped to the ground and her eyes were as wide as a saucer. _'He thinks this is all a game!' _She sank down to the ground and held her head in her hands. _'What have I gotten myself into?!' _

Seems like taking Itachi into the other side of Konoha provided him with more than another vision of the town. It provided him with a goal, a game, and entertainment. And all those elements revolved around one petite servant with bright pink hair. Sakura.

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TO

BE

CONTINUED!

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_**Author's Note:**_ Hope you all enjoyed that little scene!! :) Sorry it took me longer than I thought to post a new chapter, I have been very busy all week, but good news is that school is ending in 2 weeks. And you know what that means?! More updates!! :) At least I hope more! :)

Please review!!! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Now I know none of you have heard from me in ages…but that's because my pc caught a virus that totally killed my pc. So I had to basically clean out my whole hard drive and re-install everything. I lost my already typed out chapter so I had to remake it…it is not as good as the first one I made but please everyone :) forgive me and I hope you all enjoy this chapter! :)

Dedicated to: xXbunnyholicXx, skyblueocean, Takakuma, midnightblue123, shadow miko, Siah Yasana, just-let-me-go, Pink Blossom Princess, kitten652, narubby23, FuryanWarrior, utoi, TeamTHEFT, and XDrAnDomPeRsoNXD

Read and Review!! :)

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'_Run Sakura Run!' _She told herself as her legs carried her across the sleeping town. Her emerald eyes watched the traitorous Leonard shift around every dark corner and through every mysterious shadow. _'You won't lose me that easily you snake.' _Sakura thought to herself as she watched his movements closely. _'He's…' _Her eyes went wide as she predicted his movements before they were made. She watched with anticipation as her predictions came to life.

'_Fuck this.' _She turned her back on Leonard and sprinted down a dark alleyway. _'I'll get there before he does.' _A smirk graced her lips as she maneuvered herself through forgotten shortcuts.

Sakura hoisted herself over the royal gates and sprinted towards a back door on the side of the castle. _'Better ditch these clothes.' _Without a second thought, Sakura unclipped her cloak, and tossed it into the first tree she dashed towards. Her servant clothing was revealed just as she came in contact with the oak door. _'Now it's show time.' _With adrenaline flowing through her veins Sakura ran to the foyer and waited for Leonard to bang on the doors franticly.

'_If I knew the slime would be scared of a few threats so easily I would have had done it sooner.' _Sakura thought with a giggle. _'Now he is in such a panic he won't be thinking straight and then…'_

Sakura was brought back from her thoughts when a big knock came from the main mahogany doors. Sakura walked up to the ancient door and opened it, to reveal, a disheveled, scared, and nervous Leonard.

"Can I help you my Lord?" Sakura asked sweetly with a bow.

Leonard wasn't as calm and collected as Sakura. His eyes shifted from side-to-side and his attention would linger over the shadows for a few, hesitant, moments. "Get me the King and Queen." He said in a shaky voice.

Sakura took another bow and nodded her head. "Yes my Lord." Before she left she stuck out her hand only to have Leonard twitch. It took all of Sakura's willpower not to smirk at his reaction. "Can I take your coat my Lord?" She asked while bringing herself to an upright position.

She watched his hands begin to shake and how his muscles became tense. His hollow eyes shifted around the room showing how fearful the man really was. "Y-Yes." He finally said as his arm, slowly, extended out with the coat in his hand. It took her an extra tug to pry Leonard's hands of the blue coat, but with a hidden skip in her step, she jogged up the red velvet covered stairs and made her way to the King and Queen's room.

'_I may get a beating for this but it's…' _Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt two hands land on her shoulders and her back met the cold stone wall.

"What are you doing up Sakura. You know it's forbidden for servants to roam the halls at night." A voice whispered in her ear as a tongue occasionally came out and tickled the inner shell of her ear.

Sakura glared at the man and shoved him out of the way. "Sorry Uchiha. I have no time for games." She snarled out while she stomped away towards his parents' room.

He wouldn't let her go that easily. _'What is so important?' _He asked himself as his quick eyes caught the aggravation in her steps. He reached out, grabbed her shoulder, and spun her around. A simple glare was all Sakura needed to understand his unasked question.

"It's none of your business Uchiha." She told him as she shrugged his hand off. "It's your Mother and Father's business." Once that sentence left Sakura's mouth, Itachi was even more intrigued. She felt his hand leave her personal space and felt his eyes stare at the coat handing over her arm.

"Whose coat is that?" He growled out. Sakura rolled her eyes at the fuming Prince and shot him a small sarcastic smile. She proceeded towards Mikoto and Fugaku's room with an unhappy Itachi following behind her. He did not like the quick dismissal she gave him and decided to follow her to wherever she thought was more important than his little game.

When she arrived at the door of his parents' room his hand immediately clamped itself to her shoulder. "What do you think you are doing?" He stated while he glared at the back of her head.

Sakura didn't flinch when he raised his voice to her or how his grip became stronger as she ignored him. She gently opened the doors and ignored Itachi's warnings as she proceeded to walk into her demise. "Sakura I order you to stop." Itachi warned one final time, in a whisper, hoping the stubborn woman would come to her senses and leave the room.

Sakura shot the Prince a side glare and tiptoed into the room. _'It's all for the business.' _Sakura encouraged herself as she stood on the side of Fugaku's bed and shook him awake.

Sakura didn't have to shake Fugaku for very long, for he shot out of his bed, and his hand came right for Sakura's arm. When the King opened his black, hollow, eyes Sakura watched in hidden disbelief as they changed to murderous red. _'What the hell?' _

Itachi watched as his father's anger started to show towards Sakura. "How dare you enter this room!" He shouted in anger and superiority. _'This isn't going to end well. I told her o stop. But she didn't listen to me.' _He thought with an uncaring grunt.

Mikoto woke up to the disturbance only to be greeted with her husband punching her dearest servant in the face. "What in the world is going on?!" She shouted as she turned her angered eyes to her husband who stayed seated in their king sized bed.

Sakura felt a growing pain on the side of her face as her body went flying away from the bed. _'That fucking ass!' _She swore in her head as she stayed down on the black silk carpet. _'That punch is going to leave a bruise tomorrow.' _She concluded as she listened to the conversation above her.

"That little slime entered our room Mikoto." Fugaku growled out while he held back his anger. _'I won't let that servant get to me.' _He could see the disappointment look in his wife's red eyes, but that didn't matter to him, what mattered was that she entered his sanitary, his temple, his sacred place and for what?

"That doesn't give you the right to punch her Fugaku." Mikoto looked towards the unmoving Sakura who was face down on the ground. "She would not enter here without a purpose."

"Her purpose was to steal our things Mikoto!" Fugaku snapped out, very aggravated about the whole ordeal. Mikoto shot her husband the infamous Uchiha glare. "Fugaku! Sakura has been with us for fifteen years! You can't say that!" She said showing him where she stood in the argument.

Itachi walked into the room causing both his parents to look in his direction. "I hope we didn't wake you dear." Mikoto said with a small smile as her eyes receded back the typical charcoal black. Itachi shook his head and looked at Sakura. "She wasn't stealing from you Father." He said. "She would not tell me why she was going to your room, but, it seemed important." He said indifferently while his eyes stayed focused on Sakura's form.

Mikoto's head whipped right around, and in under a second, her knees hit the royally plush carpet near Sakura. "Sakura." She said gently, while reaching over to Sakura's face, only to have her move her head away from her grasp. "Why did you enter our room? You know the punishment for such a deed."

Sakura slowly lifted her head up from the side and looked around the room. She watched as worried eyes, angered eyes, and shameful eyes looked right back at her. "Sir Leonard came rushing into the Castle and I was coming back from the washroom when I heard him pounding on the main door." She watched as all their bodies went rigid.

"What did he say?" Fugaku coldly asked.

Sakura stared him in the eyes, which she knew annoyed him, and continued on with her story. "He said he needed to speak to you and my Lady. He seemed rather frightened about something."

Mikoto looked between her two men and they all nodded their heads in allusion. "Sakura…" Mikoto noticed the coat, still draped around her arm. "…take Leonard's coat to the coat room and go back to bed." She ordered lightly as she stood up from the ground and walked over to Itachi's side. Fugaku got out of the bed and waited for Itachi and Mikoto to walk out the room first. When Sakura got up, he waited too, and right when she got next to him he slapped her on the back of the head. "I don't care who is at the door, never come into my room." He snarled out angrily and exited the room once Sakura was out.

Sakura followed the royal family down the stairs until the coat closet came up. She looked back at the three and watched as they took the scared shitless Leonard into their meeting hall. _'Finally!' _She thought with a relief as she opened the walk-in closet door and slammed it shut.

Sakura stood in the middle of the closet and lit the small candles that lay all around the floor. "There we go." Sakura said as she laid out his coat in the candle light. "Now let's see what we have in here." She said as she started to open every pocket in the jacket. Her hands worked quickly through the pockets but it wasn't looking good. "Nothing is here!" She shouted in anger as she waved her arms in the air. "Of course he wouldn't store anything in his jacket! That's like spy 101, never leave any traces of your work with you at any time."

Right as Sakura scooped up the jacket by the collar she felt something smooth and round underneath it. "What could this be?" She asked herself as she popped the collar and watched as a piece of paper fluttered down to the ground. She dropped the jacket and flew down on the ground, holding the perfectly folded piece of paper, on her palm.

Her eyes studied every crease, every crinkle, and every smooth area the paper had before she proceeded to, very cautiously, open it. When she laid out the paper on the floor her mouth dropped to the floor. "This language is ancient!" She slipped out a new piece of paper and proceeded to copy the letters word for word. "Tsunade is going to have a shit when she finds this out!" Sakura thought with excitement. "Finally a lead!" Sakura shouted excitedly with joy as she copied down the last word in the letter. _'Now I've got you Orochimaru!'_

Sakura folded her copy into her pocket and then turned back to the letter on the floor. "Better get you back to the way we found you." She said as her expert fingers configured the paper to look exactly like it did before she unfolded it. "Now I need to get out of here." She said as she folded the collar back to its original shape and hung it on the first coat hanger near the door.

Her pink head popped out of the door and looked everywhere for any signs of them coming back. When the coast was clear she ran, with slyness only a fox possessed, to the closest door she saw. _'I need to get to Tsunade fast!' _She thought as she ran out the door and across the town.

Tsunade sat at Iruka's table chugging down sake bottle after sake bottle. "Ahhh." She said as she slammed the bottle on the table. "This is the life."

Iruka shook his head at the big busted woman and took the empty bottle from her. "I don't know how you work with this junk Tsunade-San." He said as he tossed the bottle out the back door.

Jiraiya looked at Iruka with wide eyes. "Are you kidding me Iruka?!" He said as he got up from his seat and wrapped his arm around Iruka in a friendly gesture. "Tsunade is only good when she's drunk." He said with a cocky smile.

Tsunade's amber eyes eyed the perverted spy and, before he knew it, a sake bottle was thrown at his head. Iruka and Jiraiya turned their heads, very slowly, to the broken glass on the floor. "What did you say Jiraiya?!" She growled out as she eyed him viciously.

Jiraiya released his hold on Iruka and stepped far away from the broken glass. "Chill Tsunade! It was just a joke!"

Tsunade snorted at his antics and relaxed into the chair. "I'm sure it…" Tsunade didn't finish her sentence because the door opened revealing a well known pink haired spy.

"Sakura!" Jiraiya shouted in excitement. He ran over to her and rapped his hands around her shoulders. "Tell Tsunade here that I'm just a jokester and mean nothing by my jokes." He said with a hopeful grin.

Sakura glared at the white haired man and shrugged his hand off. "Not today Jiraiya." She said in a serious tone.

Jiraiya's smile was wiped from his face at her serious tone. Tsunade stared at her star pupil and became worried. Iruka stared at the normally giddy girl with confusion. "What's wrong Sakura?" Tsunade asked as she took her feet off the chair and motioned for her to sit down.

Sakura shook her head and shoved her hand deep into her pocket. "We don't have time for drinks Tsunade." Sakura said. "We have a bigger problem." She said in an edgy tone, causing them all to circle around her.

"What are you talking about Sakura?" Iruka said as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Sakura didn't have the heart to shrug his hand off her shoulder so she allowed it to stay. "You know how I was supposed to just follow Leonard around the city to see where he goes?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at her student. "What did you do to him Sakura?"

Sakura stared down her teacher with unblinking eyes. "I just sent a few thugs to scare him. That's all."

Jiraiya chuckled. "That's not enough to get your panties in a knot Sakura."

Iruka had to agree with him. _'I've known Sakura long enough to know that she wouldn't show this serious and snappy tone unless she has found something very distressful.'_

Sakura took a deep breath. "I scared him enough to make him run to the Castle, where I then had to wake up Mikoto and Fugaku…"

"You woke them up?!" Iruka shouted.

Sakura turned her head towards Iruka, only to see his face show lines of worry and concern. "He…he punched you." He said as he noticed the growing bruise on the side of her cheek.

Tsunade and Jiraiya saw the bruise when Sakura walked in but didn't say anything, it would have sent Iruka over the edge, like what was happening right now. Sakura shot Iruka a soft smile. "It's ok Iruka." She said. "I'll be fine." Her hand pulled out the sheet of paper and she stared at both Jiraiya and Tsunade. "I was able to get his coat and that's when I found this…" Sakura said as she placed the paper down in front of her.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka surrounded Sakura with puzzled looks, that is, until they examined the letter. Iruka was puzzled by the language of the letter, but Tsunade and Jiraiya, became as pale as a ghost.

"What language is this?" Iruka asked as his eyebrows came together in confusion.

Tsunade looked at the letters and felt her heart stop. "This is…"

"…Sarutobi's language…" Jiraiya finished her sentence as they stared at the letter in shock.

"You mean…" Iruka asked staring wide eyed at the paper.

"It came directly from Orochimaru." Sakura filled in, causing Jiraiya and Iruka to look at her in confusion.

"How do you know that?" Jiraiya asked.

Sakura looked at Tsunade and then back at Jiraiya. "When Tsunade gave me those stacks of books to read, there was a journal filled of this language."

Jiraiya stared at Tsunade wide eyed. "You let her read Sarutobi's log?"

Tsunade nodded her head. "If she was going to work for us she needed to learn the language incase…" Her eyes quickly shifted over to the letter. "…something like this would happen."

"What does it say?" Iruka asked. _'I may have worked with Sarutobi but I never did learn or see his language.' _He looked between Tsunade and Jiraiya. _'He only taught it to Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. Sarutobi made the language so his spies could communicate without endangering themselves during a mission.' _He then looked at the paper once again. _'And it seems that Orochimaru has taught it to someone else.'_

Jiraiya picked up the paper and skim read the page. "It talks about meeting at the east part of town when the moon is high in the sky."

"Then all we have to do is send someone to go down there and eavesdrop on the conversation." Sakura said. "This could be our only link to who's working with Orochimaru."

Tsunade shook her head. "It's not that simple Sakura."

"Yeah, Orochimaru is a slipper bastard. He plans out everything ten steps ahead before he even makes the first move." Jiraiya said with a sigh.

"Then we just make sure that he doesn't suspect us in any way." Sakura said, causing them to stare at her in question.

"They already suspect you because you were near their original link before he "mysteriously" died." Tsunade said as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Tsunade has a point Sakura." Jiraiya added in. "If Orochimaru finds out that Tsunade has her star student following him, he'll wise up and not leave such messy trails behind."

"I know that! I'll just get a little inside help then." Sakura said with a small smile.

"What are you planning Sakura?" Tsunade asked with a growing smirk. _'I knew she would be good for this field.' _Tsunade thought proudly as her apprentice continued to tell them all of her plan. _'And to think Kakashi wants to take her from me? Ha! Over my dead body.' _Tsunade inwardly snorted.

Hours passed as the four of them schemed against Orochimaru. Everything had to be perfect, no loose ends, no mistakes, and only the most trusted would be included in the plan. One wrong move and they would blow their lead. Now was their chance to finally figure out what Orochimaru was planning and why.

"Find a way to get into town today Sakura." Tsunade ordered as she got up from the table and stretched.

"You got it Tsunade." Sakura said as she stood up as well.

"This is probably our biggest lead yet." Jiraiya said. "Sakura, when you get the information meet us at the Castle in the lecture hall."

"Hai." Sakura said with a sharp nod. She looked out the window, to once again, see the sun start to rise over the horizon. "I'll see you all later." She said as she nodded to her two mentors and headed towards the door.

Tsunade and Jiraiya nodded back to Sakura and watched as Iruka followed her out the door. "How much you want to bet he is telling her to not go through with it." Jiraiya said with a snort.

Tsunade shook her head from side-to-side. "Leave him alone Jiraiya. He's just acting like a father…even more so now than before."

"You mean now that Kakashi is constantly checking in on Sakura?" Jiraiya stated.

"Yeah. It will only be a matter of time before Sakura starts to ask questions about Kakashi." Tsunade said with a frustrated sigh. _'It will not be a pretty sight when she finds out…'_

Iruka followed Sakura out into the brightening sky. His gut was turning, sending warning signs throughout his body. "Sakura…be careful out there today."

Sakura turned to the worried man and shot him a small reassuring smile. "Iruka I'll be fine." She said.

Iruka shook his head from side-to-side. "Orochimaru is slippery and unpredictable! For all we know he could have planned this from the very beginning!"

Sakura placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I know you're worried Iruka." She said as she gave him a hug. "But that is the chance I am willing to take in order to catch this guy." She whispered.

Iruka hugged Sakura back with as much force as he could, without hurting her, of course. "Sometimes I wonder where you get your thriving dedication to your country." He said in a soft tone. "Especially when you don't even like the King."

Sakura pried herself from Iruka's grasp and nodded her head. "Yup." She said as she turned towards the direction of the castle. "I'll see you later Iruka." She said emotionlessly as she concealed herself into the fading shadows.

Iruka noted the mood change Sakura just displayed but didn't dwell on it. "She could just be tired." He said as he walked back into his home, hoping, to get some shut eye.

Sakura ran faster than ever before. The previous conversation with Iruka had left her feeling unbelievably angered. _'I will never be loyal towards that ass wipe of a King.' _She thought as she smoothly slipped through her window and crawled into bed. _'I will find you Orochimaru…and when I do…so help me god! I'll rip you to shreds!' _She thought angrily as tears started to gather in her eyes. Her hand wiped them away vigorously, as her eyelids closed, and she drifted off into an empty slumber.

Hours later the sun was shinning brightly throughout the Castle lighting the way for all the servants and aides that scurried around completing their daily chores. Sakura was not happy that the sun rose as quick as it did. _'Next time I am going straight to bed.' _She thought with a sigh as she walked down the hallway towards the balcony located at the back of the castle.

Mikoto was sitting down on a luscious chair, legs crossed, and sipping her tea. Her right pinky was pointed to the sky as the white china met her thin red lips drinking the warm liquid. Her long black hair flew gently in the wind. When her black eyes saw Sakura she stood up and smiled at the pink haired woman. "How are you feeling Sakura?" She asked remembering what her husband did to her last night.

Sakura bowed deeply to Mikoto. "I'm fine my Lady." She said as she noticed Mikoto studying the growing bruise on her cheek. "Hana's clothing are done my Lady." Sakura said trying to get Mikoto's attention off her growing bruise.

Mikoto noticed the change in subject, and nodded her head. "Well we will just have to go and pick them up." She said with a smile. _'Maybe I can take Sakura's mind off the bruise if I can get her out of the Castle.'_

Sakura nodded her head and followed Mikoto to the front doors. When they arrived there Kakashi and Itachi stood at the doors. "What are they doing here?" Sakura whispered to Mikoto as she eyed the two men cautiously.

Mikoto nodded her head to the boys. "Itachi will be leading us into town." She said with an unladylike grunt.

"Fugaku says it is unsafe to be roaming the streets alone Mikoto. Besides this is Itachi's test to se how much he has learned." Kakashi said with a smirk. _'Of course we know Itachi does not need any tests. He is progressing rather quickly.'_ He thought as he opened the doors. "Ladies first." He said as Mikoto and Sakura walked passed him.

Sakura felt his eyes travel to her cheek and her anger came rushing back toward her. _'Just ignore it Sakura. Everyone will be looking at it. How could they not? It's huge! I'm sure Fugaku is laughing his royal ass off at this.' _She thought with a snort.

Itachi studied Sakura's form and how her face scrunched up as she talked to herself. _'Something is off about her today.' _He noticed as she took a deep breath and tried to shake off her anger.

Kakashi saw the bruise and twitched at the black and blue placed on his little girl's face. _'Oh Sakura…' _He felt his heart sink. _'If only my job didn't endanger you. I would pull you out of this castle and allow you to live like how your mother would have wanted you too.' _He thought sadly as he closed the door and headed to Fugaku's study.

Itachi stood there in the store with boredom. _'Why does she take so long?' _He thought impatiently as he stood perfectly still against the wall watching his mother exchange words and fabrics with the merchant. As his eyes traveled around the store he noticed Sakura talking to one of the other workers. _'She seems just as bored as I am.' _He thought as he noticed the spacing between Sakura and the worker. _'They seem to know each other.' _He thought back to all the times when the servants left the castle to do their duties. _'Mothers servants never leave the castle.' _He thought as his eyes narrowed. _'How could she have escaped and go flitting about in the town without Mother noticing?' _Now he found something to keep his boredom at bay, finding out how Sakura is able to slip by the guards, his mother, and every other servant. _'Because those servants will tell on any of them in a heart beat.' _

Sakura leaned against the front wooden desk while she watched Hana and Mikoto converse with each other about which garment was better. "You know you owe me." A voice said as the owner of that voice leaned against the same desk.

Sakura looked away from the older women and faced the person on the side of her. "Ha, I think I do." Sakura said with a smile. "How were you able to finish these dresses so quickly Ino?" Sakura asked.

Ino smirked at Sakura. "I have my ways Sakura." She said. "But why did you need them to be done today?"

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the blond and looked around the room. Itachi was still standing by the wall, looking emotionless, Mikoto and Hana were still chatting away about where they could fix the dress and what could be added. "Because I need your assistance." She whispered.

Ino's bright cerulean eyes lit up with excitement. "About time!" She shouted, causing Itachi to look at them with a calculating stare and Sakura to hit Ino on the back of the head. "Ouch!" She exclaimed as she rubbed her head.

"Ino!" Hana shouted, interrupting, their conversation. "Take Sakura in the back with you and find that other dress I have been fixing up." She said with authority in her tone. "Sakura make sure you grab the big box underneath it."

Sakura and Ino both nodded their heads, scurried towards the back door, and disappeared out of sight. Ino walked around the gigantic closet and pulled out a beautiful red gown that was just starting to be put together. "So what do you need my help with?" She asked with a smirk as she hung the dress on the work table.

"Care to go on a little reconnaissance tonight with me?" Sakura asked with a smirk, knowing full well, that Ino liked to spy just as much as she did.

"Me?" She said sarcastically as she placed a hand over her heart. "The one and only Tsunade apprentice is asking for my assistance?" She said as the sarcasm poured over each word.

Sakura giggled at Ino's actions but nodded her head. "Yes Ino. I need your help. You in?" She asked. _'Hook, line and sinker.' _Sakura thought victoriously. _'There is no way Ino will turn this one down.' _

Ino's cerulean eyes went wide and she screamed with delight. "Of course!" She said as she attacked Sakura in a bone crushing hug. "When?" She asked as she released Sakura.

"Meet me at the east side castle gates once the sun is covered by the hills at the top of the mountain." Sakura said as she grabbed the brown box and followed Ino out of the backroom.

The rest of the day Ino, Sakura, and Itachi sat in the tiny little shop while Mikoto and Hana proceeded to make the red gown more extravagant. When the sun began to descend from the sky Itachi cleared his throat. "Mother." He said as he stood up straight. "We should go."

"Of course dear." Mikoto said as she said goodbye to Hana and Ino and followed Itachi back to the castle.

Once they got back Sakura ran around the castle finishing her chores in record time. _'I can't wait!' _She thought excitedly as she put the broom away in the closet. _'I better hurry and start to prepare.' _She thought as she raced down the hall towards her room.

The sun's red and orange hues began to hide behind the mountain. Townspeople began to close up their shops and head home to where dinner would be waiting on the table. Sakura stood looking out her window until she saw the moon slowly rise up into the sky, covering the town with the black night covered the town. _'Time to move.' _She thought as she slipped her cloak around her body, and over hear head, and jumped out her window.

Meanwhile, Itachi and Kakashi were still training in the woods, sword clanged against sword, and each kick was blocked with another kick. "You're progressing well." Kakashi said with a pant as he lunged at the Prince again.

Itachi watched Kakashi fly towards him. The way he didn't seem to give up and how he still pushed him even further reminded him of Sakura. He has noticed it for a while now, their actions would sometimes match up with one another, while Sakura didn't know any of the right techniques her form seemed natural, and Kakashi's, even though he had been trained, he added some personal touches in it. _'It's a coincidence.' _He dismissed his in-depth observation. _'Kakashi's wife is dead and even then they did not produce a child. The whole entire country would know about it.' _He thought as he continued to block Kakashi's moves.

Right when Kakashi was going to land a punch on Itachi, they both heard a twig snapped from behind them. "What was that?" Kakashi said as he stopped mid action and drew out his sword.

Itachi scanned the area but didn't see anything. "Let's go." He said as they both ran deeper into the forest listening for footsteps.

A few steps were heard here and there, making Kakashi and Itachi run even faster hoping to catch the person running through the castle grounds at this hour. The two of them came up to the eastern gate and hid behind a bush. "How did they get past the guards?" Kakashi asked out loud as his grey eyes scanned the grounds for any other parties, but all there was the cloaked person.

Itachi slightly shrugged his shoulders but said nothing. _'If they were a threat they would have ran to in the other direction to get into the castle. They are running away from it. This means…they already infiltrated the castle.' _He thought as he heard more footsteps coming from the other side of the gate.

"Be on your guard." Kakashi said as he drew his sword closer and braced himself for the worse. Itachi stood there as still as stone, eyes narrowed, as he waited to see who was on the other side.

"About time Pig." Sakura said.

Ino, dressed in a cloak as well, approached the gate. "Sorry forehead. Blame Mother, she kept me late making me sow more stitches in that red dress."

Sakura nodded her head and climbed the fence. "You ready?" She said as she reached the top of the fence and then jumped down, landing smoothly on her feet.

"Hell yeah!" Ino shouted as they ran into the night.

Itachi and Kakashi couldn't hear their voices but they both raced to Fugaku and Mikoto. "We better make sure that your Mother and Father are safe."

Itachi made no indication that he heard Kakashi other than the increase in speed. "Meet you there. Get Tsunade and Jiraiya." Itachi simply said as he ran to his home.

Kakashi smirked at the grown man that disappeared from his view. _'He is smarter than I first assumed.' _Kakashi thought. _'He is considering every possibility as to who those cloaked figures were. Jiraiya and Tsunade will help us determine if they are part of the spy clan.' _Kakashi thought as he ran faster to Iruka's home.

Ino and Sakura ran on the rooftops of the townspeople's homes. They used wooden poles to fling themselves over gaps that were impossible to jump over and used the shadows of the night to conceal their location. "Where are we going?" Ino whispered to Sakura as she dodged an obstacle in her way.

Sakura turned the corner and placed both herself and Ino in a gigantic maple tree. "Here." Sakura answered as she placed herself in a certain spot. _'I can see the north and west. That means Ino has to see the east and south.' _Sakura thought as she pointed where Ino should sit. "Make sure you have a clean escape route incase they find us." Sakura said.

Ino said nothing but nodded her head. "Say something if you see any action. Look for two men, one is gonna be dressed in Lord clothing with the Uchiha color scheme on the sword handle." Sakura informed Ino as her emerald eyes pierced through the grounds, looking for Leonard and his "special guest".

"I see something." Ino whispered as she watched one Lord walking down the street. "He doesn't even hide his outfit." Ino said with a snort. "Cocky Lords."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her blabbering friend as she placed herself in the direction Ino was facing. Her eyes looked behind Leonard, trying to find anyone that would be trailing him. _'He is walking very confidently, which means, that he is meeting someone he knows. He doesn't suspect that he is in any danger.' _Her eyes narrowed at a white haired man dressed in purple Lord clothing came out of the shadows as well. _'Kabuto.' _Sakura felt her body tense with anxiousness. _'Kabuto seems more on guard. His body is not as carefree and cocky as Leonard. He is tenser and more nervous. Why?' _She asked herself as the two began to talk.

"We need to get closer." Sakura whispered to Ino.

Ino looked at her with wide blue eyes. "Are you crazy?" She whispered harshly. "They will catch us!"

Sakura shook her head as her eyes traveled to the forest behind Kabuto. "All we need to do is jump from one tree to another. If we get to Kabuto's tree we will be able to hear everything."

Ino took a short breath and slowly nodded her head. _'I swear Sakura; someday you will be the death of me.' _She thought as they jumped, stealthy, from one tree to the other. Her heart started to pound in excitement and worry as they came closer to Kabuto's tree. _'This better work forehead.' _Ino thought. _'I am not escaping death today.'_

Sakura landed twenty tree branches above Kabuto's head and she motioned for Ino to descend down the tree. When Sakura could hear their voices her hand went up and the two women stopped dead in their tracks. Sakura felt the curiosity, anxiousness, and threatening situation fill her veins. _'This is what I love about spying.' _She thought with a smirk as she listened in on the conversation.

Leonard was standing on the dirt road looking at Kabuto. "What do you want?" He said with a growl. "You do realize what retrieving your letter cost me?!" He shouted enraged that the white haired man would put him in danger.

Kabuto shook his head at Leonard. "Unless you want me to kill you I suggest you cut the tone." Kabuto said with a sinister glare pointed at Leonard.

"Fine." Leonard crossed his arms. "What's the problem?"

Kabuto pushed his glasses up and looked around the area, making sure no one was around. "Since our link was killed last time, you need to find another one." He simply said.

Sakura watched as Leonard became enraged. _'Oh this is getting good.' _She thought with a smirk. Ino was sitting there watching the grown men bicker back and forth. _'This is entertaining to say the least.' _Ino thought with a quiet giggle.

"Why do I have to find the link?!" Leonard yelled as his arms went waving in the air all around. "You were the one that got the first link killed!" He pointed out as he got in Kabuto's face.

Kabuto's playful black eyes turned into murderous ones as he stepped closer to Leonard and picked him up by the throat. "Keep in mind who you are working for you overbearing Lord." Kabuto growled out. "If you weren't so one-sided during the dinner I would have sealed the deal and we still would have our link!" Kabuto snarled out as he tightened his hold on Leonard's throat.

"Put him down Kabuto." A slithering voice said as it came out from behind Kabuto. "We don't want to scare him off, now do we?" The voice said again as he stepped out of the shadows.

Sakura looked at the new man with hated eyes. She felt her anger crawl through her whole entire body. _'It's him!' _She thought as she dug her fingernails into her fist, in order to keep herself from lunging at the black haired, yellowed eyed, obsessed with snakes' man.

"Yes Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto said as he immediately dropped Leonard.

Leonard looked up at his boss and felt his body sweat from the intensity of the older man before him. "O-Orchimaru! W-What a p-pleasant surprise." He said with a phony smile.

Orochimaru shot Leonard a snake-like grin as he walked up to Leonard and broke Leonard's personal space. "Now listen here Leonard." He said as his hands trailed down Leonard's face, causing Leonard to tremble. "In order for us to take over Konoha we need to work together." His hands stopped at Leonard's hair, pulled him up, and made his feet float around in the air.

Leonard let out an ear piercing scream as his hair felt like it was about to rip off his head. Ino's hands went right to her hair and she held on to the long blonde locks for dear life. Sakura, on the other hand, glared at the snake man, ignoring the screams Leonard was projecting, and continued to listen to the conversation.

"You will find us another link into the Castle. One that has all the other servants under their grubby little hand." Orochimaru said as his long, snake like, tongue licked the sweat off of Leonard's face. "If you disappoint me Leonard…" Orochimaru released Leonard's hair from his grasp and placed a small knife to Leonard's jugular. "I will decapitate you and watch your head roll around your body as your blood sprays around this street. You got it?"

Leonard shook his head, violently, up and down. "Y-Yes. I w-will n-not d-disappoint y-you O-Orochimaru." He said nervously.

"Good." Orochimaru said as he placed the knife into his robe. "Now go." He said as he turned his back on them and proceeded to walk away. "Kabuto…" He said as he stopped next to his star pupil. "Next time, you will be the one in Leonard's position." He simply said. Kabuto to follow him back to their "castle" but remembered that his loyalty was on the line.

Sakura looked up at Ino only to see her skin pale and her eyes scared shitless. "Ino." Sakura whispered as she shook her by the shoulder.

Ino shook her head and looked at Sakura. "Man, that man is creepy." She said as she noticed Sakura's angered state. "Wait a minute….that's him isn't it?" She whispered shockingly.

Sakura nodded her head. "Let's get back to the castle." She said, trying to hold back the tears.

"Wait…" Ino whispered as they jumped out of the tress and ran toward the castle. "I'm coming with you?"

"Yes. Just keep your cloak on. It's about time you get to see just how much of an ass the King really is."

Ino smirked. "So basically you want me to help you bash the man?" When one emerald eye looked back at her, her smirk grew. "Oh I would love to join you Sakura."

"Itachi what is the meaning of this?" Fugaku said when he saw Kakashi bring in Tsunade and Jiraiya.

Itachi looked between his Mother and Father. "Kakashi and I saw two cloaked men infiltrating the castle grounds. In order to find out if they belong in Tsunade's section I brought them here to see."

Mikoto looked at her son with confusion. "There was no one in the castle dear."

Kakashi shook his head. "None that you could see Mikoto. We saw them leaving the castle, which means, they could have taken anything."

Tsunade looked at the Prince and Kakashi. "Well since you dumb asses brought me here tell me what their cloaks looked like." She said simply.

Itachi stared at the spy leader with unmoving eyes. "They were black."

"No shit." Jiraiya said. "But each cloak has different stitching, that way we know which one is whose."

"You'd think we would be able to notice that?" Kakashi said with a frustrated sigh. _'Spies and their miniscule details.' _

"Have Kakashi's units look through all the rooms and that will tell you if anything was stolen." Tsunade said. "I'm not putting my staff on hold for your little worry warts. Especially when we are so close to making a break through." She said.

This caught everyone's attention. "What break through Tsunade?" Mikoto asked with curiosity.

Jiraiya took the floor this time. "Our spies will be checking in with us any minute…" Jiraiya didn't get to finish his sentence for the doors were slammed open, to reveal, two cloaked figures.

"Are those the people you saw Kakashi?" Tsunade asked with a snort.

Kakashi and Itachi looked at the cloaked men as they stood in the center of the room. "Yes." Kakashi said as his eyes studied the one that made its way over to Tsunade.

"Your apprentice again?" Itachi asked, assuming the apprentice would always get the big and important leads.

"And one other." Jiraiya corrected, having a blast that he was bringing down the Prince and the top guard.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at Jiraiya's childish games. "Why are they here?"

"We've found something." Said Sakura, making her voice seem deeper than normal.

"Spill." Fugaku said impatiently as he got off his throne, having Mikoto follow, and stand right in front of the two spies.

"Leonard and Kabuto are looking for a new link that can control all the servants to have them do what they please. Be on the look out, for Leonard will be the one looking for a link this time." Sakura said, still, in her deep voice.

"That's it?" Mikoto asked, she thought something more extravagant would have happened.

Ino turned to Sakura and took her nod as a signal to begin speaking. "Orochimaru was there as well. He wants to take over Konoha." She stated, in a deep tone.

"He was there?! He wants to take over Konoha?!" Fugaku growled out as he paced around the room angrily. "This means they Kabuto is Orochimaru's right hand man!"

Kakashi went tense, Tsunade and Jiraiya felt the hairs on their arms stand up and their faces go pale. Itachi didn't expect the snake man to show himself, while Mikoto, was shocked beyond belief.

"What else did he say?" Itachi asked the two spies.

Ino looked at Sakura for the ok and continued on. "He threatened Leonard that if he didn't pick a link he would personal see to his death." Ino said as a smile grew on her face. _'I think that was worded perfectly.' _She thought proudly.

"We'll have to keep an eye on our servants then." Mikoto said, while she received a glare from her husband. "Unless you have a better idea we will stick with what I said." She said with her stern glare to her husband, who slowly, backed off.

"How did you know where to meet them?" Fugaku asked. "The only one that had access to his things was that troublesome servant." Fugaku growled out.

"Sakura." Mikoto corrected as she stared at the spy. "Did she give you his coat?" She asked, worried for Sakura.

Sakura and Ino both had the urge to roll on the floor laughing at everyone's faces. _'They think that servants can't take care of themselves.' _Ino chuckled at the thought. Sakura nodded her head at Mikoto as an answer.

"I told her to relay everything she can get her hands on, of Leonard, to me." Sakura said.

Mikoto felt her world become dizzy. "Please tell me Sakura will be ok." She said worriedly.

Fugaku growled at his wife's concern for the servant. _'She's just a servant.' _He thought with an inwards sigh.

Itachi felt his insides burn. The idea of this spy conversing, seeing, hearing, or even touching Sakura, made his blood boil. _'That's why she was so eager to leave me.' _Now he was getting mad. _'She will never leave me for this poor excuse for a man.' _He thought as his eyes started to spark red.

Kakashi felt his inside turn and twist. _'I promised you Rein that I wouldn't let our daughter be in danger.' _His eyes became hallow and before anyone knew what was happening, he had Sakura by the throat. "You will leave Sakura alone." He growled out angrily as his hand tightened.

Sakura stared at the man that was crushing her oxygen. _'What is with him?' _She thought with confusion. _'Why would he be so interested in what happens to the slave side of me?' _Sakura glared at the man and took a hold of his own hand. "You will let go of me." She ordered.

Kakashi lifted his arm up and threw Sakura behind him. "Gladly." He said emotionlessly.

Sakura's body soared through the air. Her mind was racing. What she did she do to upset this man? But the most important one that mattered to Sakura was: _'Why did he just throw me?!'_

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Ino watched as Sakura was flung through the air. "She's gonna show him." Ino whispered to them with a smirk. Jiraiya nodded his head while Tsunade only shook hers.

Mikoto felt herself twitch at the thought of how hard the spy would hit the wall. Her husband, though, was glad that the spy was being put in his place. Itachi, however, was puzzled by Kakashi's outburst. _'What is his relationship with Sakura?' _Now he had two men to fight for when it came to Sakura's attention. _'Since when is a servant so popular?' _He thought with a sigh.

Sakura flipped herself around, so her feet was facing the wall, and when her feet met the stone wall she bent her knees and flipped over onto the floor. "Not my definitions of letting me go Mr. Kakashi. But different." Sakura said as she tried to control her anger.

Kakashi wanted to pummel this spy into the ground, but, something stopped him. _'There is something familiar about him.' _His mind slowly released the anger out of his system. "Where did you learn how to do that?" He asked.

Sakura walked over to her mentor and spared Kakashi a glance. "Around." She simply said as she stood next to Tsunade.

Tsunade could see the change in mood in Kakashi's motions, actions, and eyes. _'He better not…' _

"Train with me." Kakashi said, while receiving a gasp from Mikoto.

"Kakashi!" Fugaku yelled out. "You can't be serious!"

Kakashi stared at Fugaku and then at the spy. "The kid has talent. It would be better if you had a spy that could also kill."

Tsunade shook her head and wrapped her hand around Sakura's shoulder. "If you have forgotten? My apprentice already knows how to do that."

Kakashi shook his head. "Anyone can kill someone Tsunade. It only works if you have the right amount of motivation, skill, and when skill meets opportunity." Kakashi said as he turned to Itachi. "What do you think? Would you mind if I let one other guy in on our training?"

Itachi stared down the spy. '_If I say no I can threaten this spy and tell him to back off Sakura, and find out something about him, like Father asked. If I said yes, then I will loose this golden opportunity.' _"Fine." Itachi said with a nod.

Kakashi looked to Sakura and stared her down. "What do you think?"

Tsunade cut in with a roaring laugh. "Oh Kakashi! You are too funny! I think my apprentice will have to say…"

"Yes." Sakura said, cutting off her mentor, which made Tsunade's mouth drop to the ground.

"Good, be at the garden in the south wing tomorrow when the sun just starts to rise." Kakashi said with a smirk.

Tsunade turned to Sakura and shot her a disbelieving look. "What?! Why?!"

Sakura placed a comforting hand on her mentors shoulder. "I'm not getting rid of you Tsunade." Sakura said. "I'm learning new tricks." She said, while still maintaining her manly voice. "I need this." She said, hoping Tsunade would notice the pleading.

Tsunade took a sigh and shook her head. "Alright. But you only have two weeks." She said with a smirk. "Unless you think you can't teach him in two weeks." Tsunade said to Kakashi in a challenging tone.

Kakashi shook his head. "Oh I don't think I can teach him in two weeks." His eyes traveled to the soon-to-be-dead spy. "I think I can train him in one."

Tsunade chuckled at the fact and shook his hand. "You've got yourself a deal Kakashi."

Fugaku slapped his forehead and started to turn red at the ears. "If you all are done making this meeting a joke let's get back to the crisis at hand!"

Ino couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. "Ha, ha, ha! Don't get your panties in a knot King!" She laughed out loud.

Sakura watched as the King went to Ino. "I think it's time for us to go." Sakura said as she pulled Ino out of the way and took off into the hallways. "Tomorrow at sun rise!" She said again as she continued to drag Ino down the hall.

"Looks like you have your hands full with spies like those." Mikoto said with a giggle.

Tsunade and Jiraiya both nodded their heads with pride smiles on their faces. "You have no idea." Jiraiya said.

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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_**Author's Note:**_ Hey well I got it all out to you for the fourth of July, so happy 4TH GUYS!!! Even though it is a day away :) I hope you all enjoyed this action packed chapter, I told you it wasn't as good but I made it longer since I haven't updated in a month…wow a month…that's such a long time! :( I'm so sorry guys :( But I hope you all review and tell me what you thought about the chapter! :) it is a new record high of 31 pages!! :)

REVIEW PLEASE!! :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! :) Here is a new chapter, which I hope; you all love just as much!! Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews from the previous chapter! :)

Dedicated to: Siah Yasana, TheRoseandtheDagger, TheVampyricAssassin, Takakuma, kitten652, midnightblue123, xXbunnyholicXx, sunnygirl1404, narubby23, DarkShadowSoul, and shadow miko

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Sakura searched her straw bed for every little weapon that she would fit in her cloak. Books, scrolls, leather boots, gloves, and other spy related items were being thrown to the side. _'I really need to clean my bed.' _Sakura thought with a grunt. _'They've got to be here somewhere!' _Her hands felt around in the straw until a sharp prick was felt against her index finger. _'A ha!' _She thought victoriously as she grabbed onto the objects and pulled them out. _'Finally!' _Her quick hands placed every knife and miniature sword in secret pockets hidden inside the cloak.

The sun wouldn't rise for awhile and Sakura couldn't sleep. She could sit in her room, and stare at the wall, or she could venture outside and wait for Itachi and Kakashi at the designated training spot. _'I guess going to the training spot is better than sitting here.' _Sakura made her way to the garden and found a comfortable spot under a red oak tree. _'Who knows…' _Sakura thought as her brain formed several scenarios about her training session today. _'…maybe I will rattle them a little bit.' _A smirk spilled across her lips as she reached for her hood and leaned against the giant tree. _'Now I will just sit here and wait.' _

Meanwhile Itachi was sitting up in his queen sized bed. His body ran on its own internal alarm clock. He removed his blankets and got ready for his training session. His body was clothed in the finest material in the land. He had black, skin tight, breeches and a tight, slim, long sleeved shirt with the family symbol showing proudly on the back.

He reached for his sword that rested on his oak desk. Itachi unsheathed the sword, paced around his room in a circle, and began to twirl it. _'Time to show that puny spy who is the superior one.' _He felt his anger grow as he thought about the spy conversion with Sakura, touching Sakura, toying with Sakura. It continued to grow as he began to picture the spy and Sakura together. _'Why am I so affected by this?' _His pacing seized and his sword came to a halt. _'It's nothing.' _He told himself as he sheathed the sword again, erased every emotion from his face, and began walking towards his family's garden.

Sakura sat impatiently against the tree waiting for the men to arrive. _'Where the hell are they?! Men are so slow!' _She thought angrily. Her acute hearing caught the sound of footsteps shuffling towards her. _'It's about damn time you showed up Uchiha.' _Sakura stared ahead and waited for the Prince to make his "grand" entrance. _'The sun is almost rising.' _Sakura noted right as Itachi's figure could be seen in the distance.

She watched the Prince walk towards her as the sun's rays shined behind him. She couldn't control herself as she eyed him up and down. The sun made him seem almost godlike. The rays wrapped around his muscular figure, showing the outlines of his strong arms, legs and torso. His black hair became two shades lighter, causing his whole appearance to seem less dark and powerful. When she locked eyes with him she mentally slapped herself. _'What the hell was I doing?! I can't ogle at Itachi like that!'_

Itachi ignored the spy sitting on the ground and walked towards a tree that was on the opposite side of him. The two of them didn't speak to one another. Itachi kept his eyes on the tree behind Sakura, while Sakura looked down at the grass. "Where is he?" Sakura asked in her deep tone. _'He is late.' _She turned her head to the sun and studied the way the shadows began to hit the grass. _'It's already six in the morning. Come on Kakashi.' _She sighed angrily.

Another hour passed and Kakashi was no where to be seen. "Where the hell is he?!" Sakura shouted out loud, jumped to her feet, and looked around the garden.

"Patience is key my friend." A voice said from beside Itachi. Sakura looked at the shadow to see Kakashi standing there slouched and relaxed. "You should know that the best." He told Sakura in an uncaring tone.

Sakura glared at the older man and held her temper. _'It would do me no good to bash him already.' _"So what are we going to do?" She asked easer to start her training.

Sakura wanted to rip that orange book out his hands. He wasn't even giving her his attention! His eyes were too busy reading over the smut things that Jiraiya writes. Kakashi could feel the annoyance Sakura held towards him, and therefore, he took his time with getting their training started. "I guess we can start." He said after he finished reading a page in the book.

Sakura sighed heavily and watched as Kakashi leaned against the tree. "In order for me to teach you…" He told Sakura. "I have to see how much you know first." His eyes examined her for a split second before they were hidden behind the book.

"Ok….?" Sakura didn't understand how he was going to evaluate her if he didn't even look up from his book! _'This man is a piece of work.' _

"Itachi." Kakashi ordered. "Spar with him." He said carelessly.

Sakura felt her mouth drop to the floor. _'Are you kidding me?! That lazy son of a bitch!' _

Itachi walked away from the tree and was face-to-face with Sakura. He unsheathed his sword and stared at her. Kakashi shook his head at the spy. "You're not gonna remove your cloak?" He asked expectantly.

Sakura felt her body freeze. "No." She said harshly. "You Knights might find it a hindrance to fight in a cloak but we Spies do not." She told him.

"Do what you want." Kakashi said with a sigh. _'Spies and their hidden identities.' _He thought with a shake of his head. _'What happened to the good old days where the spies would only wear masks? Now those spies were valuable on the battlefield; they could predict others movements before other knights could even start to examine their opponent.' _"Itachi you know the rules. Start whenever." Kakashi ordered.

Sakura stared at the Prince with calculating eyes. _'The fact that he brought out his sword tells me that he is expecting me to attack first.' _Her emerald eyes scanned his body for any clues. _'He isn't leaning more to one side, which means he doesn't rely on one side of his body more than the other…' _

Itachi stood there waiting for the spy to make his move, but so far, he wasn't moving at all. _'He must be examining me, but in the line of duty he can't be this slow with his enemies.' _Itachi thought with impatience.

"Any day now." Kakashi said from the sidelines.

Sakura ignored his comment and reached into her cloak to pull out one of her trusty miniature swords. She felt herself giggle inwardly at Itachi's reaction. His eyes showed confusion for a split second. "What?" Sakura said harshly.

Itachi said nothing while Kakashi stared at Sakura with curious eyes. _'What kind of damage does he think he can do with that tiny little knife? Tsunade doesn't really stress the importance of a weapon does she?' _Kakashi watched, from behind his book, as Sakura charged at Itachi. _'Then again, she trained this one to never get caught, which would give him the incentive to never carry a weapon.' _

Sakura ran at Itachi with her mini sword, only to have it blocked by the monstrous sword. Her eyes examined his posture and position when he blocked her attack. His right arm was in a bent position, while it held the sword, and his left hand remained at his side. She felt his muscles tighten and thrust her backwards away from him. Itachi used Sakura's sluggish movements to his advantage and charged at her. He turned his body around and brought his leg into Sakura's chest. Sakura couldn't register what was going on, sure she expected him to block, but to have him thrust her harder than she intended, caught her off guard.

All she could see was a black blur coming towards her stomach. Her eyes narrowed at the leg moved towards her defenseless stomach. _'If I catch his leg, he will throw me back while using his other leg in the process…maybe if I can use both of his legs against him…'_ With a plan set in her mind Sakura held herself back as his leg went flying towards her. She reached out with her hand and caught his leg mere inches away from her stomach. Itachi felt his leg being captured in a vice grip and he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His right leg came slamming down onto the ground and his other leg twirled in the air, with Sakura, still holding onto his leg.

Sakura waited until she got to the highest point before she threw her weight backwards. Her hands gripped his leg as she sent her body straight down to the ground. _'First I need to upset his balance.' _She told herself as she saw his body slightly sway from her sporadic movement. _'Now!' _She commanded her body as she took his leg, turned in the way he was swaying, and flipped him over her head.

Kakashi watched at Sakura threw a man ten times her size over her head. A smirk slowly crossed his face. _'I can see why Tsunade was holding out on me.' _He watched Itachi recover from the change of events and stuck his sword out to the side. When Sakura came running at him his sword sliced Sakura's side.

Sakura felt the ice cold blade slice through her side, like a knife cutting butter; it was quick and painless, that is, until her body registered the pain. She fell down on one knee and held her side, applying pressure to the bleeding wound. Itachi walked over to Sakura and held his sword to her throat. "It's over." He said in a threatening voice.

Kakashi watched the short battle end with a shake of his head. "We've got a lot of work…" His sentence was cut off once he heard the sound of iron clanging against iron. _'What the?' _

Granted she didn't expect Itachi to slice her side open but that gave her more information. She didn't look up at the Prince as he stood there with the pointed blade that could easily, cut through her throat, in one powerful cut. _'Thank goodness for my secret pockets!' _Sakura thought with a smile on her face. Her left hand that rested on the ground inched up her ankle until she felt the handle of a medium sized knife. _'He he.' _She giggled. _'Try this one on for size!' _Not wasting anymore time, she grabbed the sword with her free hand, and tried to move it away from her throat.

Itachi's grip tightened around the handle making it impossible for Sakura to move it with her bare hand. He stared down at the spy and examined her body. _'He's not moving.' _His charcoal eyes traveled down to the hand that was still holding onto his sword. _'Why would he hold onto a serrated sword and try to move it with his bare hands? Could he possibly have thought he could throw my sword away with his own strength?' _Itachi thought his last assumption was a comical thought but held his ground; after all, he was curious to see what the spy was planning.

'_Now!' _Sakura found an opening. She leaned backwards so her back touched the grass and extended her legs out towards the sword. She angled herself in a way that the bottom of her feet could collide with the blade of the sword, blocking it from harming her. She rolled onto her back and used momentum to flip herself onto her feet. She saw Itachi twirling around to regain his grip on the sword and pulled her hand away from her ankle which allowed her sword collided with Itachi's.

Kakashi watched as Sakura used all her force against Itachi's own blade. A smirk was already set in place. _'This one is full of surprises.' _The two were now engaged in a heated sword duel. His grey eyes watched the spy's form as it slipped between a very old fashioned defensive style to a more aggressive offensive one. _'Where on earth did this lad learn these moves?' _He asked himself as Sakura pulled out another mini sword, from underneath her cloak, and preceded to continue her attacks on Itachi.

Itachi blocked every hit and every strike Sakura threw at him. At first he didn't think Sakura would have been able to keep up with his movements and keep her focus on when to go into a defensive or offensive movement. _'Very interesting.' _Itachi thought with a grunt. He was not one to tell someone else how much they have surprised him. _'This kid won't give up.' _He figured out as Sakura pulled out another mini sword and pounded them against his own blade.

Sakura felt the adrenaline course through her veins. After that flip to get herself back on her feet everything started to click in. Battles from every book she had read started to flood her mind as she dodged every offensive attack. Every twist and turn Itachi made with his sword her brain registered it as bits and pieces of past battles. _'Left, right. Duck!' _Her body shot to the floor as his sword cut swiftly through the air. She could tell by his body movements and urgent thrusts that he wanted this battle to end. _'I think I can arrange that.' _Sakura continued to dodge and strike every time she saw an opening. Her eyes trailed after every step and ever strike he sent her way. The more she watched his movements the more they seemed to become slower. As his sword came back around she jumped up and blocked his sword with one of the mini swords. She twirled around into his chest and elbowed him in the center of his chest. She heard his stifled grunt and took this time to place both mini swords against his neck. "Checkmate." She told him in a cocky tone.

Kakashi stood as still as stone. _'I didn't expect him to be this good.' _He felt as if his job had already begun. _'The way he handed a weapon was good, but what would happen if I gave him a bigger sword? I'm sure his movements would slow down and his judgment in strikes would differentiate. But that's half the fun.' _Kakashi thought as he made his way over to the two lads.

Itachi stood there as the iron blade met his neck. It was the first time anyone was able to get this close to his personal space. _'It's because I went easy on him.' _He told himself as he glared at Sakura.

"Now can we start some real training and not your lazy ass trying to get out of work training?" Sakura said in a deep voice as she withdrew her swords and turned her attention to Kakashi.

Itachi stared blankly at the spy. _'They have no respect. He's lucky Kakashi will teach this poor excuse of a man.' _

Kakashi stared at Sakura and shook his head. "So you figured out my plan huh?" He said in a sarcastic manner. "You want training? I'll give it to you." He said as he unsheathed his sword. "Fight Itachi with this." He commanded as he threw his sword.

Sakura caught the sword and felt the change of weight. _'Ugh. This is heavier than I thought.' _She thought as she used both hands to lift it up off the ground.

Itachi lifted his sword up and swung it towards Sakura, not allowing her any time to get comfortable with the new weight. _'Not so high and mighty now are you?' _

Sakura heard his sword swipe against the air and all she could do was slide her legs into a split and use all her might to hold the sword high above her head, which allowed her to block the oncoming sword.

Itachi used Sakura's strength against her and knocked the sword out of her hand. "Game over." He said simply as his sword was at her throat.

Kakashi bent down to Sakura's still in split position and narrowed his eyes at her. "You can't expect me to teach you if you don't take my teachings seriously." He blankly told her. "Get up and try it again." He ordered her as he dropped the sword next to her. He looked to Itachi and nodded his head. "Again."

Sakura was at it for hours. At first she couldn't maneuver around with the heavy sword, but the more Itachi continued to win every spar, the more Sakura became furious. _'That's it!' _She yelled at herself for being so weak, and slow, up against Itachi. _'I don't give a damn if he's the prince and has been doing this since birth! This time I'm gonna win!' _

Kakashi sat on a rock and continued to survey the sparring lessons. Every time he thought the spy was going to do something good the time was cut short by Itachi pinning him to the ground with the tip of his sword dangerously close to Sakura's throat. _'Maybe I had too much faith in this spy.' _He thought sadly. _'I guess throwing him in with Itachi was a little over his head. Well…I better end this fight.' _

Itachi stared down at Sakura with hard eyes. "Give up." He ordered. "You are wasting everyone's time." He belittled Sakura as he withdrew his sword. "Leave."

Sakura glared at Itachi. _'That's it!' _Her patience was warring thin with the arrogant Prince and useless Knight. "Oh I'll give up all right!" Sakura shouted at the top of her lungs.

Kakashi stopped walking towards Sakura. _'Should I let him go on?' _He asked himself. _'Oh why not? He doesn't seem to want to give up.'_

Sakura felt every muscle in her body scream in protest as she grabbed the sword with one hand. Her body had reached it limits, that much was for certain, but she wasn't going to let the arrogant men get their fun in seeing her fail. _'Not today! Not any day!' _Her determination made adrenaline rush to her veins and she picked up her speed as she ran towards Itachi's turned back. "Hey show some respect and see the battle all the way threw!" She shouted to Itachi as she jumped in the air and sent the sword downwards towards Itachi's back.

Itachi felt the wind change as Sakura came flying down on him. _'He's fast. I'll give him that.' _Itachi immediately turned around and blocked the oncoming blow. "You never give up." He said, not as a question, but as a fact.

Sakura said nothing and placed both hands on the handle of the sword. She turned it blade on its side and violently pushed Itachi's own sword out of the way. Itachi backed off, very slightly, and Sakura noticed his slip up. She didn't give him any time to recollect himself and she flipped the sword around making her hold the blade instead of the handle. _'Find the pressure points.' _Sakura told herself as her eyes looked all over Itachi's body for the essential weak points.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at Sakura. _'What is he doing? Normally we hold the sword at the handle…not the blade.' _He felt a sweat drop come down the back of his head. He was confused that much was for certain.

Itachi tried to get his sword to block the oncoming attack, but Sakura was too quick, before he knew it he felt a sharp pain course through his body. His sword immediately was released from his grasp and he bit his tongue, not allowing anyone to hear him grunt out in pain. "What did you do?" He demanded to know the answer of Sakura's tricky stunt.

Sakura stood over the injured Prince. He held his upper arm tenderly against his side. "I thought you were taught to never let your guard down Prince Uchiha." Sakura spat out.

Kakashi walked over to Itachi and examined his hunched over position and the way he held his arm. _'Impossible…I thought that technique was forgotten?' _He thought as every move Sakura made, made sense to him now. "Where did you learn that?" He asked in a guarded voice.

Sakura stared at Kakashi with a cold stare. "Hitting the pressure points on the human body is an old, but a very handy, technique." She told him as she lifted up Itachi's injured arm and showed the bruise located on the inside of his arm, three inches above the elbow. "When this spot is hit with just the right amount of force, it causes the whole arm to lose control over everything for a couple of seconds." She let go of his arm and looked him in the eyes. "If we were on the battlefield, I believe I would have been able to rip your insides out and shove them down your royally pain in the ass mouth." Sakura said.

"You didn't answer my question." Kakashi said, trying to change the subject, while Itachi regained his ground and began to move his arm around.

"Oh. Well…don't you Knights read?" She said as if it was the simplest answer in the world.

Itachi grabbed his sword and stared at the spy. "We don't have time to read primitive books, unlike you."

Sakura smirked at Itachi. _'Ah now I see his true side.' _She thought with excitement. "Well it was those "primitive" books that got me to get you down on your knees Uchiha." She said with a grunt.

Itachi stared at Sakura with unwavering eyes. The way she said Uchiha reminded him when Sakura would call him by his last name. "Watch your tone." He said.

Kakashi stood in-between the two of them and shook his head. "I think you two need a break." He told them as he took his sword from Sakura's grasp and made them sit down underneath a tree. "I'll be back." He said randomly as he walked away from them. _'This should be good. Let's see what happens when I leave them alone for a few minutes.' _He thought with a chuckle as he climbed a nearby tree and watched them from below.

Sakura reached into her cloak and pulled out an apple. _'He, he. I wonder if Anko noticed yet.' _Sakura thought as she took a bite into the shiny red apple.

Itachi watched her eat the apple. She knew he was going to say something just by the way his eyes flickered back and forth between her and the apple. _'Everyone thinks the Uchiha's are emotionless and unable to read. Ha! You just have to know where to look.' _Sakura took pride in her ability to read the royal family's emotions.

"How do you know Sakura?" He wanted an answer. _'There is something about this guy that doesn't sit well with me.'_

Sakura stopped mid-bite and turned her cloak covered head to Itachi. "Huh?" She wasn't expecting that question.

"I will not repeat myself." Itachi said as his eyes narrowed.

"Why do you care?" Sakura snorted out as she took another bite into her apple.

Kakashi watched, from above, at the Prince's strange behavior. _'Why does Itachi seem to care so much about Sakura's relationship with the spy? I understand why I would drill the spy about my daughter…but for Itachi to do that? It makes no sense.'_

Itachi felt his anger get the best of him. _'Why am I getting so angered? I need to control these emotions.' _He swallowed down his anger, not very easily, and ignored Sakura's question. His hands went around Sakura's cloak and he backed her against a tree. "You will leave Sakura out of every dirty job you have her do. If you don't…well…" His grip tightened around the collar of Sakura's cloak. "Consider yourself warned." Itachi dipped his voice into the classic Uchiha icy tone.

Sakura couldn't believe what had gotten into Itachi. _'Why would he care what I would do? I am a mere servant after all.' _Nothing was making sense to Sakura, so all she did was nod her head and removed his hands from her cloak. "You happy macho man? I'll back off." She told him in a snooty tone.

Itachi let Sakura fall to the ground, but never lessoned his Uchiha glare. Before anything else could happened Kakashi jumped down from his hiding spot and walked back to the lads. _'Seems like Sakura has someone else that can keep her out of harms way.' _Kakashi thought with a smile. Finally he was getting closer to protecting his little girl, even if she didn't know it.

"Let's get back to work guys." Kakashi ordered as he tossed Sakura his sword again.

Their training session didn't end until the sun revealed itself above the horizon line. Kakashi nodded in approval and dismissed them both. Itachi went his separate way into the Castle while Kakashi stayed behind with Sakura.

"You surprised me today." He told her as he sheathed his sword the weight from the sword felt comforting as he walked with Sakura away from the garden.

"Good." Sakura said as her pride swelled up with happiness. "That's what I was aiming for." She told him bluntly.

"You learn fast. I'll give you that." He continued on. "But try not to get Prince Itachi riled up like that. He was the one, after all, that said he didn't mind for you to join us."

Sakura stopped walking and glared at Kakashi. "I don't give a damn if he said yes or no!" She yelled in her deep voice. "It was up to you in the first place! Don't hand me that bullshit just so I can stop harassing him. The royal family is nothing but stuck up snobs." She finished her tantrum and took a deep breath.

"Why do you hate them so much?" Kakashi asked, truly curious. _'What happened to this lad to make him hate the royal family?'_

Sakura felt the tears forming in her eyes, but she pushed them down. _'I know I shouldn't be telling this man anything…but…fro some odd reason I feel like I can trust him. I feel like I should, it feels strangely comforting…'_ "You really want to know?" She asked him, knowing his answer.

"Yes." He said as he stopped near a rock at the top of a hill. He pulled Sakura down on the same rock and nodded his head. "It would be nice."

Sakura took a deep breath. "I've come in contact with royals before. They thought they were all high and mighty, as if they were the kings of the world, and I believed it….that is….until I started to dig deep into their real motives." Sakura said as she felt the tears coming back. The first time she saw the other side of Konoha her heart nearly broke in half. She didn't understand how the people were hidden from the world. "It was then my view on the world shattered and the true colors were shown. Royalty only brings deception, lies, and dishonesty." She turned her head to Kakashi. "Royalty shouldn't be given respect or even the high social status which they claim. They should have to work from the bottom up in order to get to the higher status. Those who think they can just be born into this world and already have their status figured out has another thing coming." Sakura finished. "Sorry Kakashi but I must go." She said as she turned around, not daring to look in his eyes, and ran through the forest to her quarters.

Kakashi watched at Sakura ran away form him, leaving him to think about her words. _'The lad can't be any older than eighteen or nineteen years old, given his physical figure, and here he is preaching as if he was my age.' _His head looked up at the morning sky and he shook his head. _'Even though his theory is understandable he will never change the way the world is made.' _It wasn't until then he realized something scary familiar.

Rein held the same feelings she was a Princess from a tiny village in Fire Country and she knew the dirty deeds her father did to keep her family on top. Kakashi twitched as he remembered when Rein told her father she was marrying him. At the time Kakashi was finally getting his own reputation, no longer was he walking in his father's footsteps. Her father yelled and screamed at Rein telling her she was disgracing their name, but wasn't until Rein's mother reminded her husband of their love. Kakashi chuckled as he remembered Rein's father's reaction when his wife revealed that she was simply a flower store owner that sold to the royal families. _'How her mother got him to say yes still remains a mystery to me.'_

When Rein came to Konoha with him her views on the Royal family was tarnished and everyone that met her knew they had to prove their status to her. _'She's lucky that she was married to me.' _Kakashi chuckled lightly. _'If it weren't for me no one would have paid attention to her.' _It took his new wife to realize no one was going to change their ways, only when they met her, and she softened up on the idea.

'_But now…' _He thought as he gathered himself up and walked towards the main house. _'This spy holds her same views. Scary.' _He thought with a shrug as he continued on his way.

As Sakura completed her daily chores she felt her muscles strain under the additional work. _'I'm gonna feel this tomorrow.' _She thought with a grunt while taking a hold of a tapestry and she climbed the shaky ladder to the center of the wall. _'Why do these oversized drapes have to be placed on the wall every single day?!' _She thought in aggravation while she lifted the cloth onto the elegant hanger.

Down below Mikoto sat in a lunch room chair observing her servants work diligently with getting the lunch room looking normal again. She took her tea cup and stuck her delicate pinky in the air as she brought the elegant china to her red lips. _'I always hate it when this room looks so bland and boring.' _Her black eyes studied her favorite servant as she climbed the ladder. Her eyes narrowed at the way Sakura would apply pressure more on her right side then her left. _'That's odd.' _Before she could study Sakura more, the door opened to reveal Itachi and a messenger. "Hello my dear." She said with a small smile at she stood up and hugged her eldest son.

Itachi allowed his mother to hug him and nodded his head to her in respect. "A messenger is here to see you." He said as he turned to the messenger and pushed the cowardly man towards his mother.

"What is it?" She asked as the messenger tried to collect himself.

The man swallowed his nerves and pulled out a scroll. "The Shayii Family has been spotted in town." He informed her.

Mikoto felt her anger rise at the mention of the family's name. _'I don't want to invite them to my castle!' _But her years of teaching kicked in and she knew better than that. Every time a royal family would be spotted in town it was expected that the other royal family would invite the visiting family into their home. _'But I have to…'_ She thought with regret.

"Tell the Shayii family that they are invited for dinner tonight." She said as she held her tongue.

"Yes Queen Uchiha." He said and ran out the door in a blink of an eye.

Itachi watched as his mother sunk down into the chair in disgust. "That means Ami and her family will be coming." He said in an equally unpleasant tone.

Mikoto only nodded her head numbly. "Act polite Itachi, just not enough for her to want to marry you." She told him.

Sakura was about to throw the tapestry on the hanger when she heard Itachi and the messenger walking into the room. _'Hm…what could this be about?' _She asked herself as she delayed her task. When she heard Ami's family name escape the messenger's mouth her blood froze. _'No.' she_ thought in anger. _'That bitch is coming?! Tonight?!' _Sakura felt like ripping the tapestry into pieces because she was so enraged! Sakura shook her head and threw the tapestry on the hanger, before she really did rip it to shreds.

As the tapestry was being thrown on the hanger, a sharp pain erupted in Sakura's side. _'Shit.' _She thought as she tried to ignore the burning sensation in the side of her stomach. Once the tapestry was neatly on the hanger the pain came back ten times worse. "Fuck!" Sakura shouted out as she lost her balance and fell off the ladder.

"I guess I'm going to go round up the…" Her sentence to Itachi was cut short by Sakura's loud vulgar swear. "What is going…?" She turned around only to see Sakura plying through the air. "Sakura!" She shouted as she ran towards the ladder not knowing what to do.

Itachi turned around as well and followed his mother to the ladder. _'Something isn't right.' _He saw by the way she cradled herself as she descended the ladder.

Sakura faught against the pain long enough for her right arm to catch onto one of the foot pegs. She used all her strength to hold on for dear life. _'There is n-no way i-in hell t-that I'm g-going to fall t-to my d-death.' _She huffed out as the pain returned.

Mikoto pulled the first servant that crossed her path to the side. "Get Kakashi!" She shouted as she threw the servant towards the door. "Don't worry Sakura! Help is on the way!"

Itachi circled around the ladder and examined Sakura's position. "A little klutzy are we?" He said to Sakura with a smirk.

Sakura looked down at the smirking man with a fiery glare. "Fuck off Uchiha." Sakura said making sure not to reveal her injury.

Mikoto heard Sakura's outburst but decided to stay on the sidelines. _'Let's see what Itachi does.' _She thought as her heart fluttered. _'Maybe I won't have to worry about that part of my plan after all.' _Her Uchiha smirk came into play as she continued to watch the exchange.

"What can you do about it Sakura? You're stuck up on a ladder. The most you can do is kick and scream." Sakura watched as his charcoal eyes twinkled. "Or you could jump down…but that would hurt you even more." He said in an all knowing tone.

"You would like that wouldn't you?" She said with a sneer. "Sorry but I'm not playing your game." She told him as she stuck her cute little tongue out at him.

"I'd put that tongue back in your mouth Sakura." Itachi felt heat rise within him once again, but this time, he wasn't allowed to yank her down from that ladder, throw her against the wall, and ravish her like last time. _'My time will come.'_

Mikoto stared wide eyed at her son. _'Is he…flirting with her?!' _She had no idea her son would act so provocative towards Sakura. _'Well of course Itachi could seduce anyone he wanted but still! Normally I have to tell him to flirt he never acts on his own when it comes to this.' _Her eyes shifted to the hanging Sakura. _'I didn't know you had the ability to arouse my son Sakura.' _She nodded her head at her unknown revelation. _'I will find out who your parents are Sakura…and when I do I will bring you to your rightful place in our social order.' _She thought with a smile as she pictured Sakura dressed in luscious gowns and beautiful make-up.

Sakura was about to yell at the naughty Prince but the doors came slamming open. She cocked her head to the side, only to see, Kakashi and the servant entering the room. _'Just great.' _She thought in annoyance. _'I've seen enough of him today.' _He was the main reason why she was in this mess in the first place! _'Hanging from the side of a ladder is the first thing I want to be doing.' _She thought sarcastically.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked as he watched his daughter dangle off the side of a old ladder.

Mikoto turned to Kakashi and walked him closer to Sakura and Itachi. "I don't know! She was up there and then all of a sudden she fell!"

"My Lady I'm fine." Sakura said with a reassuring smile. "I just would like to get down from here." She said.

Kakashi maneuvered himself underneath her and held his hands out shoulder width apart. "Jump." He said urgently, he could see the ladder starting to break under he weight.

Sakura turned her head around and stared wide eyed at him. "Excuse me?" She asked stunned that he wanted her to let go of the ladder and fall to her death.

"I'll catch you." He said impatiently. "The ladder is going to break. Now jump!" He shouted.

Sakura looked at the ladder to see the ancient wood planks starting to split at the end. "Fine." She said without a second thought and let go of the ladder.

Mikoto felt a wave of relief wash over her once Sakura fell into Kakashi's arms. "Thank goodness!" she shouted as she waited for Sakura to stand on her feet. "What happened up there?" She asked as she examined Sakura's body for any injury.

When Sakura stood up she immediately moved her right hand to her left side. _'Come on. Just hand in there a bit longer.' _She told herself as she continued to endure the pain that was radiating throughout her whole left side. "I just tripped my Lady." She told her simply.

Kakashi eyed Sakura's right hand as it laid limply against her left side. _'Something isn't right.' _"Remove your hand." He told her.

Itachi also noticed her hand move to her left side. He narrowed his eyes at her side but she was covering up everything, preventing him to see anything. _'What is she hiding?' _He thought in frustration.

Sakura stared at Kakashi with confused eyes. _'Just act dumb Sakura.' _She coached herself as she tilted her head as well. "Why?"

Mikoto was becoming worried again as, she too, noticed Sakura's hand covering her side. "Just do it Sakura." She said her mother senses told her Sakura was hiding something and after raising two sons she knew that hiding something was generally a bad thing.

Sakura sighed. _'If I hide it any longer they will just get more furious.' _She slowly removed her hand from her side and took a sharp breath in. The cool breeze blew across her opened wound, making it sting.

"She's bleeding!" Mikoto yelled out as she grabbed the same servant and sent him to get the doctor. "How did this happen?!"

Itachi glared at the cut on her side. _'Where did that come from?' _He didn't get a good look at the shape of the cut because of her dress but seeing her hurt didn't sit well with him.

Kakashi felt his blood boil as his fatherly instincts kicked in. _'Who would have hurt her?' _Fear ran through his mind as he tried to figure out if any of his enemies could have possibly learned about his secret.

"Nothing you need to worry about my Lady." Sakura tried to reassure her, but it wasn't working.

"Don't hand me that Sakura! You're going to tell me what happened this…" She couldn't scold Sakura anymore for the doctor came storming into the room.

"What's wrong Mikoto-San?" Shizune asked.

"This one over here is injured." Itachi told the doctor as he tilted his head to Sakura.

Shizune stared at Sakura and shook her head at the young woman. "Again Sakura?" Shizune said with a sigh.

Sakura thought everyone's eyes were going to pop out of their sockets. "This isn't the first time?" Kakashi asked, rather curious.

Shizune shook her head. "No." She took out her knife and cut the piece of fabric that blocked her view of the wound. "Oh ouch." She said while she reached for her medical supplies. "This looks like a sword wound." She told them.

"Why do you have a sword wound?" Mikoto asked Sakura, clearly frightened by what the answer might be.

"It's…ouch!" Sakura shouted as Shizune placed a stinging ointment against the cut. "What the hell Shizu!" Sakura said. "No warning?!"

Shizune giggled at Sakura's outburst. "Well maybe next time you won't try to pick fights with the locals." She said seriously as she continued to address the wounds.

'_She picks fights with just about everyone then.' _Itachi thought as some of his possessive anger cooled off. _'I should have known. When we were in town she was willing to beat the man up. Even better.' _He thought with a smug look.

Kakashi felt all his worry wash away. _'Phew. At least it wasn't any of my enemies. I can handle the locals one by one.' _He thought as he tried to figure out how he would catch the townsperson that attacked his precious flower.

"Sakura!" Mikoto yelled out. "This is from a brawl?!" She was furious now. "From now on you are not going into the city without someone with you!" _'I can't stand to see you hurt Sakura…I'm sorry if this is taking away your only freedom but…it has to be done.' _

Sakura felt her world collapse once Mikoto said that. She no longer could sneak off and do her job, she couldn't go and visit her mothers grave, hell she couldn't even visit her friends on the other side of town! "But my Lady…"

"My mind is made up Sakura." She turned to Shizune. "Is Sakura ok?" Her mood changed from anger to worry.

Shizune put the final touches on Sakura's wound and stood up. "Sakura's fine." She told the queen with a smile. She turned to Sakura and shook her head. "Next time come to me after you get sliced Sakura." She said with a roll of her eyes.

Sakura nodded her head and turned to Mikoto. "I better go and gather all the servants for the dinner tonight." She said with a deep bow to everyone in the room. "See you tonight."

Mikoto shook her head as Sakura walked towards the kitchen. "I don't know how I deal with her sometimes." She said out loud.

"She brings some entertainment to the castle you have to admit." Kakashi said as he eased Mikoto's worried mind.

Itachi nodded his head. "Mother, we must go tell Father about the Shayii's arrival." He said, half hoping he could disappear and finish their conversation.

Mikoto nodded her head and waved Kakashi goodbye. _'I just hope that Ami doesn't pick on Sakura during the dinner. That would prove very problematic.' _

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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**_Author's Note:_** Hey there guys…sorry it took me forever to get another chapter out there…it's summer…I can never predict when I can have time to post out to you all =( But I will say that the story is moving along rather nicely! =) Hope you all enjoyed it!! Sorry it was a little boring =(

Review please! :) Any advice would be awesome!! :)


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Notes**_**: …**well it's been a while since I've written a chapter. First off I'd like to apologize for leaving you all like that. I just needed a break…I won't bore you with details as to why so if you're wondering just ask me :).

Dedicated to: Takakuma, Siah Yasana, sleeping itasaku fangirl, xXbunnyholicXx, skyblueocean, Sara1965, nickeledwards, Raven1123, just-let-me-go, shadow miko, midnightblue123, whitedeathangel03, TeamTHEFT, animefreakkk 3 aha :), AngelFox23, iFawkdewdles-, omnipotent Porunga, randomgirl2k8, narubby23, meow, XSweetXSourXSoulX, LilBitzer, Abmonkey8, Itachiforever342, jjdjd

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"How could she do that to me?!" Sakura yelled as she smashed the wooden carton of potatoes onto the table.

Anko stood as far away from the counter as possible. Sakura was on a rampage! She stormed around the kitchen, slamming her feet against the tiled floor, or throwing knives down on the cutting boards. Her tantrums were putting Anko's to shame. _'What the hell happened?' _Anko watched wide eyed when Sakura blindly threw a knife, behind her back, and land on a painting hanging next to Anko.

"Woah!" Anko grabbed the other knife Sakura was ready to throw rigorously across the kitchen. "Calm down Pinkie! What the hell happened to you?"

Sakura released her death grip on the knife and slouched down to the floor. Anko knelt next to her fallen friend and placed a comforting arm around Sakura's shoulders. "It's not far Anko." Sakura stated softly.

"Tell me what happened Sakura," Anko said in a soft tone. _'I've never seen her so distressed in my life.' _

"Mikoto…she…she took my right to go into the city away," Sakura managed to choke out, not wanting to fully believe reality. "That means I can't go anywhere without someone coming with me."

Anko's breath was caught in her throat. When Sakura looked up at her, those emerald eyes that always possessed so much life was replaced with sorrow and distress. "It can't be that bad Pinkie."

Sakura shook her head. "You don't understand. No one is going to take a SERVANT into town because the Queen asked them to." A sigh released from her lips. "I'm stuck in these walls for life." She mumbled to herself.

Anko took Sakura and gave her a reassuring hug. "Looks like you're back to square one Sakura." She whispered into Sakura's pink hair. "Just start sneaking out again, looks like you can't trust anyone but me and yourself."

Right as Sakura opened her mouth to speak the kitchen doors opened. "Sakura?"

Anko stood up first, followed by Sakura, watching the Queen slowly walk in.

"Hai?" Sakura asked.

Mikoto felt her heart break at the sight of Sakura. _'Did I do this to her?' _She couldn't believe that her order would reduce Sakura to tears. "I…" She looked between the two women and sighed. "I wasn't trying to be the bad one Sakura." She softly stated while she placed her hands on Sakura's shoulders.

Sakura didn't want to look Mikoto in the eyes, she may have taken her freedom, but Mikoto could do worse. "I know my Lady."

Mikoto's hold tightened. "I don't want to see you hurt!" She croaked out, a few crystal tears slid down her flawless cheeks. "That spy is dangerous and having him tangling a death trap around you…it's…it's…scaring me." She admitted finally. "I don't want to see anything happen to you Sakura! You're like family to me no matter what anyone says!"

"My Lady…" Sakura stared at Mikoto with shocked eyes. _'She…she views me as family?' _She took both her arms and wrapped them around Mikoto's crying form. "…I'm sorry. I respect what you decided. I shouldn't complain about anything after all you have done for me."

Mikoto sniffled and backed away from Sakura's hug, but her grip on Sakura's shoulders stayed. "Forget what I said Sakura." A small smile spilled across her face. "Just don't get into anymore fights ok?"

"Really?!" Sakura was ecstatic! A radiant smile spread across her face while she jumped up and down in pure joy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sakura grabbed onto Mikoto and gave her a gigantic hug.

Anko chuckled at Sakura's childish show, as did Mikoto. "Enough Pinkie, you're going to kill her."

"Oh!" Sakura released the, now gasping, Mikoto. "Sorry!" She said with a giggle.

Mikoto shook her head. "No it's ok." Her small smile altered into one as big as Sakura's.

The giant grandfather clock broke the happy atmosphere with an ear piercing ring.

"Get to work girls." Mikoto told them with another smile. "I'll have other servants serve the meal tonight Sakura." Mikoto reassured Sakura. "That way you don't have to face Ami."

"Thanks my Lady." Sakura bowed deeply to Mikoto as she left them alone in the kitchen. "Looks like you get quality time with me Anko!" Sakura exclaimed.

Anko grunted as she pulled apart the wooden crate. "Lucky me." She said in a joking manner. The two grown woman laughed out loud as they continued on with preparing the meal. Neither knew what was going to happen tonight, but with the return of an old friend, God only knows what would ensue.

Mikoto, Fugaku, Itachi, and Sasuke waited in the main living area for the Shayii Family to come knocking at their doors. "Why do we have to invite them for dinner?" Sasuke complained. "Maya is annoying." He grunted out remembering how Ami's younger sister would always attach herself to his arm whenever they were out in public.

"None of us want to invite them Sasuke." Mikoto said as she took a small sip out of her tea cup. "But it is the polite thing to do."

"Don't act disrespectful." Fugaku said coldly. "We have a reputation to uphold, even if we despise them." His eyes landed on Itachi as he spoke. "If Ami asks anything from you…you will accept."

Itachi sat up straight in his seat. "Hn." _'I can accept…then decline Father.' _He thought bitterly, he had no desire to spend his minutes with a whiny spoiled brat. As he thought about him and Ami dancing at the annual ball event, brown eyes turned to emerald and brunette long hair turned into pink. He mentally slapped himself out of his thoughts. _'Not acceptable Itachi. She is simply a game. That's it.' _He told himself.

Mikoto glared at her husband. "Fugaku Itachi will do what he wants to do. We will not force him into a predicament that he doesn't want to be in." She defended her son.

Her black eyes turned into crimson red as she stared her husband down, causing all three men to sit perfectly still, afraid of what their soft spoken woman would do. "Understood Fugaku Uchiha?" _'I'm close to figuring out Sakura's parents you will not make him ruin what I'm planning!'_

Fugaku smirked at his wife and kissed her on the cheek, an unspoken argument conspired between the two, leaving their sons baffled by the display of emotions.

"Your guests have arrived." A servant said as he obediently looked at the ground and waited to be dismissed.

"Very well." Fugaku said as he got up, allowed his arm to be join by Mikoto's, and lead the way to the waiting room.

"Play nice boys." Mikoto whispered back to her sons as the four of them entered the room with fake smiles.

"Welcome back Shaya." Mikoto said to Ami's mother with a nod.

Shaya returned the nod and pulled her husband along to exchange greetings with Fugaku. "It has been awhile hasn't it?" She said with a smile.

"Ita!" A shrieking voice shouted from the other side of the room.

Itachi stood as still as stone, waiting for the unbearable brunette to glue herself to his side. _'Didn't she learn from last time I don't want to be associated with her?' _He thought grimly, remembering the last time he embarrassed her at a ball.

_It was the Spring Ball, where every royal family came together to celebrate the change in seasons. Itachi was forced to dance with many bachelorettes, his parents hoping to find him a suitable wife he could marry._

_The night was coming to an end and he wanted to leave the suffocating ball. He was making his way outside when the infamous Ami stood in his path, blocking his escape route._

"Dance with me Ita." _She said in her high shrill voice._

"No." _He said coldly._ _He wanted to leave._

"Come on!" _She attached herself on his arm and tried to turn his attention to the dance floor._ "Everyone is commenting on how nice we look together…and look!" _She pointed._ "The dance floor has a spot where everyone can see us!"

"No." _He said. Again._

"Too bad Ita. We're going." _She ignored his stiffened posture, his glaring eyes, and tried to pull him to the floor._ "Ita! Move!" _She yelled at the top of her lungs, causing everyone to look their way._

_In a split second Itachi held both of her hands with his black eyes now red, glaring at her._ "You do not command me to do anything." _He emotionally said as he pushed her away from him._

_Ami tripped over the back of her dress and fell, backwards, into the desert table. Everyone stared wide eyed as all sorts of pastry flew up into the air and land onto Ami. Her white dress was now the color yellow from all the pastry and icing that landed on her. _

"You're not going to help me?!" _Ami shrieked as tears dripped down her, now covered in cake, face. _

_He stopped dead in his tracks, turned around, and stared her down with his famous Uchiha stare. Every person watching the scene had shivers crawl up their spine at the intensity of the situation. _"You are a spoiled woman that has never been told no. I do not want you, nor will I ever. Get out of my sight and leave my family and me alone."

_That night word got around about the incident and Ami hid away in her castle for months. The Uchiha's stopped receiving requests to have their daughter be betrothed to Itachi, to his family's dismay, and Itachi's happiness. _

Now here she was again, as if nothing ever happened, attaching herself to his arm. "I've missed you! I knew you would cool off after the incident." Her body smothered itself against him.

Sasuke chuckled at his brother's misfortune. "Yes brother." Sasuke came in. "I think you have cooled off." He smirked.

Itachi returned the smirk when Sasuke had his own leech attached to his arm. His eyes danced with amusement at his little brother's reaction.

"Maya get off." Sasuke groaned out.

"Oh Sasu! I've missed you! I've dreamt about you every night and I KNOW you have thought about me to!"

"What?!" Sasuke was disturbed. "No! You're crazy!"

"Oh I'm only crazy for you Sasu!" Maya shouted as she landed one wet kiss on his cheek.

Mikoto turned around only to see her sons being smothered by the girls. "Well why don't we go eat dinner?" She effortlessly interrupted the girls. _'Back away from my babies.' _Mikoto thought, her mother possessiveness kicked in.

Anko and Sakura prepared the meal and set up each entrée in the order it would be sent out the door. "How ugly do you think she's gotten Pinkie?" Anko laughed as she twirled a knife around between her fingers.

Sakura laid down on her belly, kicking her legs back and forth in the air, on the cutting station. Her dress hiked up to barely covering her butt as each leg swung around in the air. "I'm sure there are no words to describe how she looks this evening." Sakura giggled.

"Is the food ready to be served?" A servant popped out from the side door.

"Yes you can take the appetizers Neil." Sakura smiled at him.

Neil nodded, turning bright red, as he eyed Sakura's exposed skin. It wasn't a hidden secret that Sakura possessed some sexy assets under the uniform.

"Shush Sakura! It's about to start!" Anko told her as they both turned their heads to the door that Neil was exiting through.

Itachi didn't look away from the spot on the wall while everyone got situated. Sasuke sat next to him, feeling the same exact way. "How long do you think we'll have these leeches brother?" Sasuke whispered, hoping the girls wouldn't attack them from across the table.

"Time will only tell." Itachi whispered back.

Mikoto sat next to Itachi, while Fugaku sat at the head of the table. Ami and her family sat across from the Uchiha's. "Dinner is here." Mikoto said as Neil walked out of the kitchen door.

Itachi had the urge to look towards the servant. When he watched the servant exit the kitchen, the door swung wide open, revealing a giggling Sakura in her skin revealing glory. His eyes bored into Sakura's head, hoping she would look at him. When hers, and Anko's, head turned his way he didn't pass up the opportunity to smirk at Sakura.

Sakura watched Neil sluggishly walk over to the dinner table and she scanned the room. Immediately her eyes landed on the oldest Uchiha. His smirk made her stick her tongue out at him. _'Who does he think he is? Smirking at me…please at least I'm not tending to the bitch.' _

Itachi's smirk grew. It wasn't the reaction he thought he was going to get, but to see her sticking her tongue out on a table like that made everything burn inside. And it felt so good. _'You'll have a surprise tonight Sakura.' _He thought as his eyes darkened with desire as he watched her emerald eyes scan the rest of the room before the door blocked her out of his sight.

Hours went on and the dinner felt like it was never going to end. Shaya went on and on to Mikoto about their home in the mountain tops. The husbands sat in silence while Sasuke tried to shake Maya away hoping she would stop playing with his feet under the table. Itachi was busy trying to shake Ami down to her core with his intimidating stares.

"Any luck with girls Itachi?" Shaya asked with an all knowing smile.

Itachi stared at the older woman and said nothing.

Mikoto held back her anger. "Itachi is doing just fine Shaya." She answered for her son. "How is Ami doing?" Trying to take a stab right back.

Just as Mikoto expectation Shaya became quiet and backed down. "She's…uh…doing…" She was at a lost for words.

"Mother!" Ami cried. "I'm doing well Mrs. Uchiha. In fact I've had several men ask for my hand." She said confidently.

From inside the kitchen Sakura and Anko heard her screeching voice through the walls.

"HA!!" Anko couldn't hold back her laughter at that statement.

Sakura was laughing so hard that she was starting to roll around on the table. Neil watched the pink haired woman roll around on the table, making her dress reveal more of her creamy skin. _'Look away Neil look away! If she catches you you're dead!' _

Hoping he wouldn't get caught he grabbed the last of the main course and pushed the door wide open. Itachi used the corner of his eye to watch Sakura without drawing attention to himself. She was rolling on the table laughing hysterically. _'She must have heard Ami's comment too.' _This drew up a question. _'How does she know Ami?' _

Mikoto heard giggling coming from the kitchen and saw Sakura reaching the end of the table. _'Oh no! Sakura!' _Without a warning a thud was heard from the kitchen. Mikoto used all her self control to not laugh at Sakura's stunt.

Everyone looked towards the kitchen only to see Sakura sprawled out on the ground. Itachi swallowed down his chuckle, Sasuke allowed a grunt to escape his lips; Fugaku ignored her, while all of Ami's family glared at the laughing servant.

Ami crossed her arms. _'Stupid pink haired servant.' _Just then her eyes, which were closed, popped open. _'PINK HAIR?!' _Her head swiftly turned towards the closed kitchen door. Everyone watched as Ami rose up from her chair and ran over to the closing door leading to the kitchen. _'Impossible…'_

Anko cracked up even more as she watched her friend fall to the floor. "Nice job Pinkie! Way to fall!"

Sakura jumped up to her feet and held her stomach with her hands trying to surpass the pain she felt in her abdomen from laughing too hard. "Well excuse me for being distracted from laughing!"

Anko nodded her head rigorously, agreeing with Sakura. "Thankfully the door closed just in…"

Anko never finished her sentence because the kitchen door was pushed open to reveal the very person Sakura and herself were laughing at.

"Well, well, well…it's been a while Sakura." The high shrieking voice said.

Sakura froze in her spot and spun around to come face to face with her old childhood enemy. "Ami." She said with an edge in her tone. "What a surprise."

Ami reached in and grabbed Sakura out of the kitchen and threw her in front of everyone. "I knew you wouldn't amount to anything Sakura…" She said as she circled around Sakura, like a shark circling its prey. "…but to still be a servant to the Queen?!" Ami started to giggle. "I would have never thought of that!"

Mikoto was going to stand between the two girls but Fugaku placed his hand on her arm. "She's a servant Mikoto." He reminded her. "You do not get involved with her issues." He told her.

Itachi glared at Ami as she circled around Sakura. He didn't like the way Ami was insulting Sakura. _'Something isn't right here…the only way Sakura could possibly know Ami would be if…Sakura was also in the castle when my mother taught the soon to be Princesses.'_

"Oh you know me Ami." Sakura started to say with a careless shrug of her shoulders. "I like to get to know everything from the inside out."

Ami stopped circling Sakura and reached over to grab her liquor. "I knew you didn't truly belong with us." Ami took a sip of her drink. "Even your parents didn't see you worthy enough to take you back."

Sakura felt the room freeze. _'How dare her!' _Her fists curled up into fists and her whole body started to shake.

Mikoto sat in her seat watching with worried eyes as Sakura let her emotions show. Itachi froze in his seat, more than before. _'She of royal blood then.' _Itachi figured out. _'Why didn't her parents come get her? Either they deemed her unworthy…or something happened to them.' _

"Awe don't cry on me Sakura. We all know it's true." Ami said, feeding Sakura more insults.

Sakura closed her eyes and tightened her fists even more. _'Breath Sakura. She doesn't know anything.'_

"See? Even you don't have the guts to admit it! It must be true!"

'_That's it! That bitch is going down!'_

"It's ok Sakura. It only happens to the worse of us." Ami said again loving the pain Sakura was in.

Sakura opened her eyes to reveal sparking angered emerald eyes. She was enraged by Ami's words so much that Sakura acted without thinking.

"You spoiled little bitch!" Sakura yelled out as she charged at Ami.

Everyone, quickly, backed away from the dinner table as Sakura threw Ami onto the table. Glasses broke, dishes were flung off the table, and utensils were being used as weapons as the girls stood up on either side of the table.

"You're just jealous!" Ami yelled as she threw her fork at Sakura.

Sakura dodged the flying fork and tossed her knife to cut Ami's cheek with one clean sweep. "Sorry. I only speak the truth. Why take back something that is?" She said with a smirk.

"Ah! You ungrateful girl!" Ami yelled as she charged at Sakura, kicking up the table cloth with her feet. "Ever since we were little you always were jealous of me! Don't deny it!"

Sakura allowed Ami to push her down to the ground. As the two girls flew through the air Sakura saw that they had an audience. _'Just great.'_

"Get off me Ami. You're huge!" Sakura shouted as Ami sat on top of Sakura's stomach.

Ami glared at Sakura and pulled her hair. "Take it back!" She ordered as she took more of Sakura's pink hair and pulled it harder.

Sakura grinded her teeth together. She looked around her for something to drive this boar off her. "I said take it back!" Ami was growing impatient and slammed Sakura's head into the floor.

Itachi watched with growing anger as Ami repeatedly smashed Sakura's skull, over and over, into the titled floor. _'Why isn't she fighting back?' _It baffled him. He has seen her countless times picking fights with others and now when she needs to fight back…she doesn't. _'Why?' _Was the only question he could ask himself.

As her head bobbed up and down, enduring repeated blows, Sakura saw something shine in her eyes. _'If I could grab it…' _Without thinking what it could possibly be Sakura reached behind her, grasped the circular object, and broke it on top of Ami's head.

Ami released her grip on Sakura's hair. "Ah!!!!" She screamed as pieces of glass dug into her skull.

Sakura kicked Ami off her stomach and stood up. She watched as the glass shards made cuts. Some were shallow while others were lodged in deeply.

"You're going to pay for that!" Ami was not going to give up. She ignored the pain and rose to her feet. _'No way will I be beat in front of my Ita!' _

Ami's family watched the fight with shocked eyes. They never thought their precious little girl could be violent. Fugaku, secretly, was hoping Ami would knock the much needed sense Sakura needed into his servant's head. Mikoto, although stood there quietly, was rooting for Sakura. _'Beat her up Sakura! She's long overdue!' _Even by her own thoughts Mikoto blushed at how rude she was.

Itachi, however, was having problems controlling his anger. Why it was hard to contain, was beyond him, but as he watched Ami charge at Sakura again he snapped. _'That's it.' _

Sakura sighed. _'I don't know how much easier I can go on you Ami. If I try anything else I could end up hurting you…and exposing me.' _She braced herself for another bone crushing thud to the ground. Her body became slack and she waited patiently to meet the floor…but…it never came.

"Get out of my way Ita!" Ami yelled as she scrambled to get around Itachi. "I have a score to settle with her!"

"You're done here Ami." Itachi said as he held her back, knowing she wouldn't get by him.

Sakura stared wide eyed at the Uchiha Price. _'Why did he stand in the way?' _

Mikoto felt her heart flutter. _'There is something going on between them!' _She never felt so happy for her son in her whole life.

Fugaku, on the other hand, was enraged. _'What is Itachi doing?! Has he forgotten his position?!'_

"You're funny Ita. Why defend this freak anyways? She has pink hair and is a servant! Her parents left her!" Ami looked up at Itachi, batting her eye lashes at him, hoping he would move.

"Yeah…why defend me?" Sakura whispered.

Itachi sent Ami a frigid glare. "Ami you will leave Sakura alone." He growled out. "You and your family will leave my home and not return. You are not welcomed here." He finished in a bitter tone.

"Ita you don't…" Ami watched as Itachi's glare increased in her direction.

"I think we will leave." Ami's father, Ken, spoke for the first time that night.

"Dad! He was only kidding!" Ami cried.

Ken ignored his daughter and looked to the Uchiha's. "Please excuse my family Fugaku." He bowed. "They are a little…different." He tried to word it politely.

Fugaku nodded his head and watched as Ken used both his hands to push his youngest daughter, and wife, out of the castle. When he passed the protesting Ami he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. "I hope to not see you again." Ken told them as he shut the main dinning room doors behind him.

"What was that." Fugaku growled out to his eldest son.

"She reached the end of my patience." Itachi explained.

Mikoto smiled approvingly at her son. "Although it wasn't the method I was thinking of it worked the same."

Fugaku sent his wife a glare and then turned his attention to Sakura. "You." He took a step forward, all his anger projected in his steps. "This is your fault." He reached over the table and picked up a knife. "I don't have a whip at the moment…" He began. "…but I'd gladly improvise." He smirked.

Sakura stood in her spot and eyed the knife in his hand. _'It's the price I'm willing to pay to see Ami in tears.' _She already accepted her punishment.

Itachi stepped in-between his father and Sakura. "Stand down Father."

Mikoto's, Sasuke's, Fugaku's, and Sakura's jaw dropped. "What did you say?" Fugaku snarled in frustration.

Itachi held his father's glaze. Uchiha glare against Uchiha glare. "You will put the knife down Father."

"Do you know who you are commanding Itachi?"

"Yes. Drop the knife."

Sasuke inched towards his mom as his father and brother butted heads. "Why is brother defending the servant Mother?"

Mikoto shook her head. "I don't know Sasuke." She answered.

"I will hurt you Itachi don't underestimate me."

"The knife would be out of your hand before you could." Itachi challenged as he eyed the knife.

"Why defend her?" Fugaku demanded.

Itachi looked in the corner of his eye at Sakura. She stood there just as dumbfounded and confused as everyone else. He watched as blood trickled from her head wound slide down her face and drip to the floor. "She doesn't deserve it."

"What?" Fugaku's eyes went wide a fraction of a inch. "She destroyed my dining room. She made Princess Ami bleed. A typical servant should be executed for even touching a Princess."

Itachi's stance went rigid at the thought of his father executing Sakura. "Ami got what she disserved. Leave Sakura alone." His tone was filed with enough authority where his father did not have room to argue.

Fugaku glared at Itachi and then at Sakura, which caused Itachi to step in his line of sight of Sakura. "I am your elder." He took a side step away from Itachi and continued towards Sakura. "What I say goes. Know your place Itachi."

Sakura could read the murderous mood Fugaku was in as he stood there taking Itachi's commands. As his steps came closer she could feel a world of pain calling her name.

Fugaku reached for Sakura only to have Itachi's hand grab his wrist. "Itachi." He roared. "YOU WILL RELEASE ME!"

Sakura stared wide eyed at Itachi. _'What does he think he's doing?! Fugaku is just going to kill me once you leave.' _

Using his other hand he took the knife Fugaku held and tossed it on the ground. "Listen to me Father. Leave Sakura alone." With that he turned to Sakura, grabbed her wrist, and walked out of the dinning room.

Fugaku stood in complete shock as his son defied him. _'What has gotten into you boy?' _

Mikoto watched with happy eyes as her son towed the confused Sakura out of the room. _'What's going to happen now? I'll have to send someone to eavesdrop!'_

Sasuke raised a simple eye brow to his brother's direction. _'That was…weird.' _

Once Itachi shut the doors behind them he continued towards the back doors. Sakura didn't struggle against his hold as he made his way outside.

"Where are we going?" She asked quietly. One wrong move and he could send her back into the lion's den.

"Away from here." He told her as he led her deep into the woods that surrounded his home. _'It is time for all the mysteries to end.' _He thought to himself as his grip on Sakura's wrist tightened a little.

He has her all to himself now. Taking her to a secluded place, with no interruptions, no threats, was just the atmosphere he needed…wanted.

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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_**Author's Note**_: I hope that was good enough for the long wait I made you all go through. If you don't review I truly understand. For those who do review…I'm completely in your debt.

Thanks for reading!!


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Notes**_**: I'd like to thank everyone that stuck by this story through its long absence. I saw how many people reviewed and I felt overjoyed! Thanks for all your support!!**

**Dedicated to: **Takakuma, jjdjd, midnightblue123, xXbunnyholicXx, sodapopgirly83, LadyYakamichi, XSweetXSourXSoulX, alwayslost123, The Reveiwer known as Name, shadow miko, Emilx311, TeamTHEFT, Anonymous, reader, Abmonkey8, Akatsuki'sSunni, nickeledwards, nightwish635, snorkabuziaczek, just-let-me-go, Unico Luna Angelo, angel897, and xxpatixx

* * *

Mikoto didn't have much time! The time it took to find a suitable spy to follow her son and Sakura into the forest they would be long gone! _'And I can't have that happen!' _She looked at her shocked husband and son and stealthy slipped out the back door. _'No one better to do the job than yourself!' _Mikoto ran after the duo, but stayed a respectable distance away while she chased after them.

They traveled through the dense forest at an unsteady pace. Sakura maneuvered around protruding roots, branches, and any other parts of Mother Nature that dared to enter Itachi's path. She didn't bother to ask him any more questions, every time she did a grunt would be her answer, if she was lucky, most of the time he would stay silent.

Mikoto noticed the tension as she followed them. _'I wonder what will happen!' _Her thoughts stopped instantly when her son stopped in front of the same spot she showed him when he was younger. _'I told him to come here whenever he needed to clear his head…and he brings Sakura here?!' _Mikoto was getting more and more excited by the minute. _'I'll need a better angle!' _With a silent squeal Mikoto ran away from the two and climbed up a willow tree that allowed her to overlook them. _'Now I'll see everything!' _

Sakura watched as Itachi headed towards a wall of weeping willow trees. Their evergreen branches touched the ground hiding their precious secret on the other side. Itachi came to a complete halt and extended his arm out to touch the willow's branches. His hands delicately spread apart the branches and he pulled Sakura through.

What Sakura saw before her eyes took her breath away. Many willow trees surrounded the area while multiple tulips, the colors of the rainbow, sprouted out of the ground in various places. Sakura watched the river run through the middle of the peaceful sight, separating the two halves from each other. She looked at the back of Itachi's head but he violently yanked her towards one the willow's that sat on the edge of the brook.

"Itachi!" Sakura yelled, becoming very irritated with his silent treatment, "What is going on?!"

Itachi turned to face her and stared her down with his raging blood red eyes. "Fix yourself Sakura."

Sakura raised one slim pink brow in the air. "Huh?" His angered eyes traveled up her face to her forehead. "Oh." Sakura rose one hand to the bleeding cut and felt it sting when she touched it. "It's fine just answer my…!"

"Fix it Sakura." His voice rose to a demanding pitch as he looked her in the eyes. "Now." He pushed her towards the herbs that grew near them. "It will get infected."

Sakura allowed herself to be lightly pushed to the collection of herbs that waited patiently to be plucked from their roots. While she sliced away each herb, and sprinkled the liquid on her opened cut, her eyes shifted back towards Itachi every once in a while. _'He's acting very weird. What is going on with him?' _His bold move towards his father had Sakura puzzled to no end.

Itachi, however, leaned against the tree while he watched Sakura address her wound. He couldn't explain the feeling that coursed through his veins when he watched Ami bang Sakura's head into the ground. The hollow sound that echoed through that room when Sakura's head met the floor never escaped his mind. As he sat there thinking about it, his blood boiled with hatred for the Shayii family.

Mikoto watched with growing interest while Itachi ordering Sakura around. _'Usually Itachi will ask once…he never repeats himself…'_

"Now tell me what the hell is going on with you!" Sakura broke the silence as she dabbed her wound dry with a torn piece of her dress and violently turned towards Itachi, glaring at him with all her might.

"Why didn't you fight back Sakura…?" He started to say as he eyed her wound once more. "You fight with my Father, Kakashi, and me…yet you can't hold your own against a parasite like Ami…why?" He closed the space between them as his eyes narrowed.

Mikoto almost fell off her branch trying to hear the conversation better. _'Am I hearing right? I'm curious to hear Sakura's answer…Itachi does have a good point.' _

Sakura bit her tongue as the laughter started to bubble inside her. Here Itachi was, making the situation serious, and all Sakura wanted to do was fall backwards into the silk-like grass and cry her eyes out in amusement. "I…I…" She struggled to swallow down the laughter, if she said another word…well that was it…she wasn't going to be able to say anything without laughing.

"What Sakura." He demanded out of her, his patience wearing thin.

"I…" She released her laughter. "Ha, ha, ha, ha!" There was no controlling it now.

Itachi frowned as Sakura fell backwards and howled in laughter. _'Why is she laughing?' _"Sakura." He grunted out in aggravation.

"Hahahahaha!!!" She slowly stopped rolling around on the ground and peeked at Itachi through her tear stricken eyes. "Y-you think I can't hold my own against that bitch?! That's hysterical!" Sakura told him as she pushed herself up.

"Then explain to me why you didn't fight back." Itachi demanded as he grabbed hold of her shoulders.

Mikoto watched from high above in the trees, her eyes growing wider and her curiosity increasing with each passing second.

All of the laughter washed away from Sakura's face. "Why?" She repeated. "It's courtesy Itachi. Day one I was taught that you are to never prove others wrong in a public viewing. It tarnishes both reputations." Sakura told him delivering the very first speech Mikoto told her the first day she entered the castle.

Itachi stared at Sakura with unmoving eyes. "You don't care about reputations Sakura." He told her.

"No I don't but Ami does."

"Why do you care about her?" His hold on her shoulders tightened.

"History Itachi." Sakura told him as she placed her own hand on top of his, hoping to calm his anger down. _'His grip is going to break my shoulder in half.'_ "I've known Ami since I was six."

Itachi eyed her small hand that covered his enormous one. Her hands felt like velvet against his coarse ones. It made him wonder if everywhere else felt this smooth. _'I have bigger questions at hand.' _He banished his dirty thoughts and hid them for another time. _'Wait a minute…since she was six…which means…' _"Who are you?"

Sakura sighed and removed her hand from his hand. She turned away from him and looked out at the river. Her eyes wandered to the shinning moon above them. "Even I don't know the answer to that."

Mikoto covered her mouth, keeping the rising gasp from exiting her mouth. _'OH SPILL TO HIM SAKURA!' _

Itachi moved his hand and slipped it under her chin. He wanted to see those sparkling emerald eyes to only look at him. "Answer what you do know." He urged her. _'So many theories about her and yet she still shatters any conclusion I come to terms with.' _

Dark emerald eyes stared into black charcoal eyes. "Why do you want to know who I am?" She asked him. "I'm just a servant in your eyes and why should you care about my ancestry?"

Mikoto couldn't help but guiltily agree with Sakura's heart breaking question. _'Wait a minute…did I sent sadness?!' _She looked to her own flesh and blood waiting for his response.

'_Why do I care?' _He asked himself. _'She is just a game…yet I feel like this is turning into more than that…' _He wrapped his free hand around Sakura's waist and pulled her closer to him. "Same reason why you showed me the real Kohana. You believed that I could change the old way of life. That is why you showed me it, correct?"

Sakura blinked at him in surprise. "That's…exactly why I showed you it." _'That's the last time I accuse him of being slow.' _"…but…" As she studied him more, the way he held her, the way he stared into her eyes, as if he was trying to read her soul, it made her want to spill everything to him. _'No Sakura! What is wrong with you?! You can't give into this man's game!'_

Itachi watched as her eyes shifted back and forth trying to figure out what to say. _'She still thinks it's a game.' _He concluded as he felt her hardened a couple of times in his hold. _'Fuck the game.' _He finally thought to himself.

'_If I tell him about my past what would he do? What would he say? Is it worth it? Why do I even care in the first place?! What the hell is…?' _Sakura's thoughts were cut off by a forceful pull of gravity into a desperate lip lock.

Mikoto wanted to jump up and down in her spot! _'I KNEW IT!' _She shouted in her head as her son pulled Sakura into a lip lock. Itachi moved his hand to the back of her head burying it deep into pink locks. The arm that rested along her hip pushed her closer to him. Mikoto sat there with a wide smile plastered on her face. Her son never showed emotion like that before! _'Something is there! Woot! Sakura you did something I never thought was possible! Itachi is showing emotion! Raw passionate emotion!'_

Shock overtook Sakura as Itachi's hold on her tightened. She should have pulled away, she should have got up and ran as far away from him as physically possible, but, she couldn't. _'If I distract him long enough he might forget about his question!' _

Sakura smirked into the kiss as she pressed her body closer to him. Itachi didn't object to the closeness of their bodies and wanted more contact. He sent his tongue to glide over Sakura's lips asking to break free and explore the territory he missed. _'It has been too long.' _

At first Sakura didn't grant Itachi his wish, which made Itachi bite down on her bottom lip. "Eep!" Sakura made a noise at the unexpected bite that made her lip bleed.

A smirk was felt through that kiss while Itachi took the opportunity to thrust his tongue into Sakura's, now, opened mouth. His hands moved away from her scalp and trickled down to her waist. His large hands covered Sakura's petite hips and shoved them on top of his own. A growl emitted deep within Itachi's throat as he grinded into Sakura. He loved the way she fit against him, small but not delicate enough so he would have to be gentle. _'Even so, I wouldn't be gentle with her anyways.' _He thought as a jolt of heat ignited in his pants.

Sakura felt his grinding hips against hers and she couldn't control the growing sound effects that were escaping her mouth. Gasps and moans were shamelessly coming from Sakura, but she didn't care, he felt amazing grinding and squeezing her against him. _'But he can't have all the fun.' _Sakura moved her hands, from the ground, and up his legs, every trace, every stroke, she used to her advantage.

She started at the inside of his calf, making small sporadic designs up towards the inside of his thigh. She could feel his anxiousness as she got closer and closer to his "little friend".

His hips bucked towards her hands demanding to be touched. Itachi couldn't hold back the desire anymore and even though he loved to be the one in control he'd allow her to take the lead…just this once.

At first she was going to torture him and simply skim over his awaiting member but when he practically threw it at her fire burned below her stomach, she wanted to give him a taste of what she could do.

One hand made its way towards Itachi's buckle and with a single snap Sakura had his breeches dropped to his ankles. That same hand slowly slid down his hip bone and teasingly traced along the top of his stiff member.

A groan escaped Itachi's mouth but he wasn't going to sit there and allow her to do everything. His mouth worked double time, kissing her harder and faster, making his tongue swirl everywhere in Sakura's mouth. His hands dove to Sakura's thighs and traveled underneath the linen dress. His cold hands sent shivers of pleasure down Sakura's spine as he continued to climb her body to her chest.

'_So it's a challenge then?' _Sakura assumed as she sent her hand to work. Her featherlike touches traveled down his shaft and gracefully circled underneath. She used her nails to lightly graze his underside and a low growl was heard from the male underneath her. _'Looks like I…'_

"Hmm…Itachi…" Sakura moaned out, cutting her thoughts short.

His hands found her well shaped breasts and rested right underneath them. Before he could caress her waiting mounds her fingers worked wonders on him. He throbbed in satisfaction at her ministrations and when she played underneath his shaft, he felt his nerves set on fire. He wanted to hear her scream his name, his and only his! He impatiently grabbed her breasts and squeezed them. When he heard her moan out his name in pleasure a stronger wave warmed his blood. His hands circled around her breasts starting from the bottom and working his way to her hardened nipple.

"Say it again Sak-ur-a." Itachi whispered in her ear as he flicked the perked pink nipple with his fingers.

Sakura's world was a blur, everything blended together and her body felt alive for the first time in her life. Her body was getting hotter and hotter with each passing second Itachi caressed her body. "Mhmmm." She moaned.

Itachi's tongue swirled and sucked on Sakura's neck hoping she would moan his name again. "Say my name Sakura." He ordered her as his hands slid up and down her sides' simultaneously with his sucking.

She couldn't take it anymore! She moved her hands to his hair and grazed his skull with her nails. She used her other hand to grab his butt and plunged herself into his erected self. "Ittachhiii!" She growled and moaned while she shoved her hips back and forth against him.

Itachi bite down on her neck, out of shock, by her impatient actions. He bit back the impulse to call out her name but sent his hands to her hips. He helped her slam against him; it would only be a matter of seconds before he would cut her panties, and his, and soak himself in the tightness of her sacred temple.

Mikoto watched with eyes as wide as saucers. Her mouth dropped to the floor as they went after each other. _'I shouldn't be watching this!' _She blushed at her intrusion and turned her head away, hoping to give them some privacy, but all the moans made her blush deeper and deeper. _'I think I got a little bit too much information!' _Now she was kicking herself for following the humping duo sprawled out in almost pure nakedness. _'I should…' _Her thoughts were cut off when Sakura jumped up.

Even with all the bliss that coursed through her body Sakura's spy senses never fully disappeared. She slid her hands down to remove her panties but a dull snap of a twig echoed in her ears. _'What the…?!' _All lust and desire was gone and Sakura jumped away from Itachi. She stared at the other side of the forest with calculating eyes.

His body pushed forward impatiently as Sakura went to remove her panties. He had already cut his loose and he wasn't going to hold out much longer. _'I want to be inside her NOW!' _Itachi growled impatiently at how long Sakura was taking.

Right when he thought she'd finally remove the obstruction of clothing blocking his path she froze. _'Now what?!' _His lustful red eyes watched Sakura jump away from him and stare off at the other side of the forest.

"Didn't you hear that?" She asked him while her chest rose and feel, trying to fill her lungs with air from all the excitement.

Itachi grabbed his pants and put them on. He walked over towards Sakura and joined her side. "Hear what Sakura." He growled out very irritated that she stopped their fun.

Sakura stared at him to see his long hair disheveled and low pony tail elastic slowly sliding down. His chest heaved up and down while; he too, tried to catch his breath. Every bead of sweat dripped down his bare chest in an exotic manner while his lust eyes shined with annoyance. "Y-you didn't hear that?" She swallowed down her arousal hoping he wouldn't notice.

He stared at her with a smirk, _'She's ready for round two.' _He felt powered that he could turn her on even after she interrupted it. He couldn't control his eyes from looking at the bite marks that shined brightly on her neck; it was as if they were telling the whole male population that she was his and no one else could have her. Her messy pink hair framed her flushed cheeks and her body shook from the warmth that disappeared. "I heard nothing."

Sakura glared at him from the corner of her eye. _'Someone is coming!' _She turned around and pushed him towards a tree. "We need to hide! Now!" She urged him as she jumped onto a branch and climbed the tree as fast as she could.

Itachi stared at the confusing woman but followed her. _'She better have a good explanation for this.' _He thought bitterly, he was rather enjoying himself.

Before Mikoto knew it Sakura and Itachi were running toward her tree. _'NO, NO, NO! This isn't going to be good!' _Mikoto sat frozen on her tree branch as a pink head poped up. _'Oh dear…' _

Sakura poked her head above the tree branch only to see the Queen staring at her with a sheepish smile on her face. _'MIKOTO?!' _Sakura stood as still as stone as she came face-to-face with Mikoto. "H-Hello my Lady." _'Oh god! How long has she been up here?!'_

Itachi saw Sakura stop short above him. _'What could be up there?' _He climbed next to her and popped his head up next to her. "Sakura what is…?" His sentence died off as he saw his mother smiling at him. "Mother." He greeted.

Mikoto sat on her branch and waved to her son and Sakura. "Hello you two. I'm surprised to see you both here."

"How long have you been up here?" Sakura asked, very afraid to hear her answer.

Mikoto looked between her son and Sakura while a small blush spilled across her face. "Uh…well…"

Sakura was mortified! _'She saw everything_! _I'm sure there is a huge punishment for hitting on the Prince let alone almost screwing him in front of his mom! I'm such a dead servant!' _

Sakura looked away from the Queen, afraid of looking her in the eye. When she turned her head she saw two men on the other side of the brook. "Who could that be?" She asked herself.

Itachi and Mikoto overheard Sakura's question and looked in the same direction. Itachi's eyes narrowed at the two figures moving closer to the water. Mikoto stood frozen in place hoping the new people wouldn't notice them.

Sakura read the mysterious people's lips. _'They are saying something about a…offer?' _A mental snarl echoed inside Sakura's head. _'I won't be able to gather any information from up here!' _"Come on!" She whispered excitedly to them. "Let's get a closer look!"

"Wait…!" Mikoto stretched out her hand to stop Sakura's curious advances but she wasn't quick enough. Sakura slid down the tree with ease in a blink of an eye.

"We might as well follow her." Itachi stated as he also slid down the tree and join Sakura's crouching form on the ground. _'God only knows what trouble she'd get herself into if we left her alone.'_

Mikoto shook her head. _'Oh Sakura…' _With a small giggle she followed her crazy servant and son as they hid behind the green brushes.

Sakura dug a little hole with her hands making the two men easier to see. She felt Itachi and Mikoto lean over her shoulder eager to see what was going on.

"You called me Lord Leonard?" A voice was heard.

Mikoto and Itachi stiffened immediately. Sakura could feel their every movement above her. She used the corner of her eye to watch the two royal family members exchange warning looks to each other. Itachi crouched lower to Sakura while Mikoto leaned closer in hopes of hearing more of the conversation. _'What is Leonard doing here?' _Sakura thought.

"Yes." Leonard said as he moved closer to the edge of the brook. "You see I'm here to make you a once in a lifetime offer."

Sakura felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "What could that possibly mean?"

Mikoto and Itachi looked down at Sakura and then back at Leonard. _'Sakura shouldn't be here, it's too dangerous for her! I don't know how much evil I can keep away from her.' _Mikoto thought in worry afraid of tarnishing Sakura's innocent eyes. _'She doesn't deserve to be involved in our troubles.'_

"What offer do you mean my Lord?"

Sakura froze. _'I know that voice! Oh no! Leonard isn't…! Orochimaru told Leonard that he had to find a new servant? He couldn't have picked…!'_

"How would you like to never be a servant?" Leonard began. "To have your debt paid off to the Uchiha family and to live like a free man again?"

"That sounds…impossible my Lord."

A chuckle escaped Leonard's lips. "If you join my partner and me this "impossibility" of which you speak of will become reality."

"What exactly am I suppose to do if I agree to your terms?" The voice sounded a little apprehensive as he asked the question.

Leonard knelt down to the water and motioned for the man beside him to do the same. "Look in the water." He ordered.

The man knelt down next to Leonard and gazed into the moon covered water. His reflection stared right back at him. Broken brown eyes, pale blonde hair, and a scared face was what shined back.

"Neil…" Sakura unconsciously out loud. _'No! Don't do it! It's a trap!' _She liked Neil, he was a hard worker around the house, always did what he was asked, and never once complained about it. To see him next to Leonard getting ready to sign himself away to the devil rattled her.

"You see what's looking back at you? How would it feel to wash away the past and start anew? You could go anywhere you wanted, at any time, be your own man, and owe NOTHING to anyone." Leonard leaned closer to Neil. "Picture it…you owning your own piece of land with a wife and children running around the lot. They'd be calling out to you in joy, your wife would be proud of the man she married…do you think you'd have that luxury being the Uchiha's servant all your life?"

The three people in hiding watched Neil lower his head to the water and then return it to look back at Leonard. "What would I have to do to erase my debt?"

'_NEIL NO!' _Sakura scolded the young man before her, how could he give into temptation that easily?! _'He's lying!' _

"Mother we must report this." Itachi broke the silence already tuning out the rest of the conversation. _'We already know what this servant will have to do, there is no reason to endanger ourselves here any longer.'_

Mikoto looked at the two men across the river and then to her son. "Yes we must tell your Father at once."

Itachi turned to Sakura and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Stay here until I come back. Stay out of sight from anyone." He told her as he grabbed his Mother's hand and disappeared into the forest.

Sakura watched as they ran deep into the forest. _'Stupid Itachi.' _She thought with a snort while she moved away from the bushes and soundlessly dove into the river. _'You think you figured out everything there is to know about this situation?' _She swam to the other side of the river and hid behind an algae covered bush. _'Now I can see much better.'_

Leonard's smirk shone brightly against the moon's reflection. "You must allow my assistant and me to slip in a special guest into the Castle. The trick, however, is he must be snuck through the Uchiha's Castle. No one is to know of his presence."

Neil awkwardly looked down at the ground. "So…you're basically telling me to betray my King and smuggle in a man because…?"

Leonard glared at the inquisitive lad. "…because…" Leonard growled out. "That man will be the one getting you out of debt. Get the servants to suspect nothing, smuggle him in, and you'll get your reward."

Neil stuck out his hand in a confident manner. "You got yourself a deal."

Leonard grasped his hand and with one firm handshake the deal was done. "Speak of this to no one. If anyone finds out…well…your life will be expected as a repayment. Now leave."

Sakura watched as Neil rose to his feet and walked back to the castle. Her piercing emerald eyes glared at the devious Leonard before her. _'Now what is he going to do?' _She watched as he lifted himself to his feet and walked south of the forest. _'Looks like I've got some snooping to do!' _She thought excitedly as she reached onto a tree branch and effortlessly pulled her body up.

She followed Leonard through the forest by staying thirty feet behind him. Never once did the distance change, her steps never made the branches crackle under pressure; everything had to be as silent as death.

Leonard led Sakura through the Kohana forest to a desolate patch of land. _'It's like a forest fire happened…' _Sakura landed on a branch in a crouched position just as Leonard stood in the center of the burnt terrain. _'He's waiting for someone…most likely Kabuto.'_

"I did my side of the bargain. I got us a way in." Leonard explained.

Sakura watched as the shadows before Leonard slowly turned into the outline of a man _'I knew it.' _Her crouched position became stiff and tense, she had no idea what was going to happen.

"Orochimaru will be pleased." Kabuto told him. "I suggest that you return to your home Master is planning on attacking the village tomorrow night."

"Why? We have a way into the castle wouldn't an attack make Fugaku tighten security around the castle?"

Kabuto shook his head. "Oh dear Leonard…you don't understand do you?" A small cynical chuckle escaped his lips. "Orochimaru has an army of bandits that are unmarked by a kingdom. When they storm the castle from the east side Fugaku will throw his best men into the situation. The thugs will be ruthless and show no mercy, Fugaku's defense will be weakened. Do you see the solution now?"

Leonard nodded his head. "I get your point." He turned his back on Kabuto and started to walk away. "The Ball is coming up we must work fast."

Sakura stood in place as Leonard walked back to the forest. _'They want to weaken Fugaku's guards so he won't be thoroughly protected during the Ball…which means…they are planning on killing hundreds of innocent soldiers.' _Her body became rigid as she glared holes into Kabuto's receding back, as he too, walked his separate way away from the meeting spot. _'I better warn Tsunade!' _She counted to twenty in her head until she allowed herself to dash off through the trees towards the west side of the Castle.

Itachi and Mikoto ran to the castle as fast as they could. They grabbed Fugaku and sent a servant to fetch Kakashi, Tsunade, and Jiraiya. The two spies and Knight stood in the main living area while Itachi and Mikoto spilled the news.

"I'm sorry to call you all out of the blue." Mikoto started off. "But what Itachi and I have found is very alarming."

Fugaku looked between his wife and son. "What did you find Mikoto?"

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi nodded their heads in unison. They were just as curious as the King himself.

"While Mother and I were taking a walk we spotted Leonard with one of our servants."

"Which servant?" Tsunade asked already speculating it was Sakura. _'Who else would cause a bigger scene than necessary?'_

"Sakura said his name was Neil." Mikoto informed them.

"Sakura was with you?" Kakashi asked. _'Why would Sakura have been taking a walk with them?'_

"Yes." Itachi said.

Fugaku felt his blood boil. _'Why couldn't Leonard talk to that mangy pink haired servant into doing his dirty work? That would give me an excuse to kill the overbearing wench.'_

Kakashi sensed tension between Fugaku and Itachi but dismissed it. He looked at Tsunade and Jiraiya to see that they came to the very same conclusion.

"What did Leonard say to Neil?" Jiraiya interjected. _'If Itachi and Mikoto were there when this information was given out it that would explain why Sakura hasn't told us of it yet…but if she was with them…where is she now?'_

"He offered Neil a way out of his debt and Neil accepted." Itachi finished.

"He is using Neil as the pawn to break into the Castle during the Ball." Tsunade explained. "It would make the most sense. Did you hear anything else?"

Mikoto looked at her son and shook her head. "No…we didn't think to stay any longer…we were shaken up by catching the scene first hand that it never crossed my mind." She admitted truthfully. _'I hope Sakura is alright back there we need to go get her.'_

"Now that we know which servant to keep an eye on we will be a step ahead of Kabuto, we can not let Neil figure this out however." Kakashi concluded.

Fugaku nodded his head in agreement. "Hn. That's the smartest thing to do."

"Wait…Mikoto…" Jiraiya looked around the room and then back to the Queen. "…if Sakura was with you…where is she now?"

"Oh…you see…she's still…" Mikoto's sentence was cut off by a rather loud slam of a door.

Everyone looked up to see a familiar cloaked figure standing in all their glory. Sakura watched as all eyes followed her every move into their circle.

"You're useless." Fugaku told her. "We found out all we needed to know."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "You really think so?" She answered him in her deep tone. She walked over to Itachi and eyed him over. "You believe that all the information was collected at the scene?"

"How do you know that we were at a scene?" Mikoto asked a little worried that the spy might have seen the other bit of information that Itachi and herself failed to mention.

Sakura didn't look at Mikoto and turned her attention to the King. "If you believe that you have figured out everything then say so…I do hold valuable information that your family managed to…miss out on." Sakura said with a smirk on her face.

"I think we should listen to what he has to say Fugaku." Kakashi added in. "He is trained in this area after all."

Fugaku grunted in disgust at the idea, but he couldn't completely dismiss Kakashi's valid point. "Hn." Was all he managed to say.

Kakashi looked to Sakura and nodded his head. "What additional information do you have for us?"

Sakura stood up tall and paced around the room. "Orochimaru is planning on attacking the castle tomorrow night on the east side. They plan to use an army of bandit thugs that way you can not link them back to any known Kingdom." She locked eyes with each person in the room for dramatic affect. "Orochimaru plans to slaughter your major power players in your army leaving you with less powerful guards during the Ball." Sakura finished.

Mikoto gasped at her words. "H-How did you hear of this?"

Sakura took a step towards Mikoto. "I found one of your servants hidden in the bushes."

"Sakura!" Mikoto gasped out but covered her mouth immediately. _'Shoot I'm too careless!'_

Sakura nodded her head and allowed a deep chuckle to escape her lips. "She told me how you and your son left the premises to warn the others…"

"What did you do to her." Itachi demanded as he grabbed Sakura's cloaked collar and lifted her up in the air.

Kakashi was glad Itachi asked the question, he knew he wasn't able to ask it, and it eased his worried thoughts. Jiraiya and Tsunade resisted the urge to slap their foreheads. _'Sakura you're just getting yourself in more trouble.' _They both thought.

Mikoto felt horror consume her entire being. _'What if he did something to Sakura?' _She looked to her angered son. _'How would Itachi take it?'_

'_I could play with this situation…you know…see what he would do if I insinuated a few situations…after all it might show me a reason behind his actions earlier tonight.' _With an evil plan set in her mind Sakura coughed to clear her throat. "What do you mean?" She said in a naive tone.

"You heard me." Itachi growled out at he backed Sakura into a wall.

"I simply…oh how do I put this?...I took her with me." Sakura felt his body freeze as soon as the words escaped her mouth. _'Show me what you got Itachi.'_

"How could you?!" Mikoto cried out. "Sakura had nothing to do with this! You should have left her out of it!"

"You expected me to leave her there?" Sakura stated. _'How helpless do these people think I am?!'_

"She is none of your concern." Itachi interjected.

Kakashi felt his anger rising with every passing word that exited Sakura's mouth. _'Itachi warned him to stay away from Sakura and he takes her to the heart of the conflict! I allowed this person to train with me and this is how I'm repaid?! He takes my daughter into the very danger I want her away from?!'_

"Well Uchiha…she was simply sitting on the ground bored out of her mind. She saw what way Leonard went so she was a valuable source of information." She leaned her head down to Itachi's ear. _'This will hit a nerve.' _"It's better than leaving her there alone where anyone could just take her…so I figured why not? Better that she's with me than with no one at all."

Itachi's disgust for the man before him grew radically. _'That perverted man! How dare he take Sakura! She is mine!' _He shoved Sakura roughly against the wall. "You are to never go near Sakura. Do you understand me." Itachi unemotionally demanded while he punched Sakura in the face, not holding back any of his strength.

Sakura watched with shock as his fist flew towards her cheek. _'Well…I wasn't expecting that…' _Her head whipped to the side and a throbbing sensation was felt around her face.

"I withdraw Kakashi's invitation to train you." Itachi snarled out as he released his hold on Sakura and took a couple steps back. _'That will teach you to mess with something that is mine.'_

Sakura's eyes went wide. _'WHAT?! NO!!' _"You can't do that. Kakashi would have to deny it, Prince or not Uchiha; you have no control over that." Sakura informed him smartly.

Itachi turned towards Kakashi. "Kakashi what do you think?" Itachi's intense stare was a way for him to convince Kakashi to reject Sakura's invite.

Sakura watched as the Knight shook in place. _'What's his issue?' _

His fists curled up by his side and his eyes became empty. Sakura watched as those hollow silver eyes bore into her very being. _'Something…something is familiar about that look…it reminds me of Mom…but how? I thought she was the only one that could have a look like that?'_

"Itachi is right." Kakashi said in a detached tone.

Tsunade stared at the frigid Kakashi with pure shock. _'I haven't heard that tone since Rin died…he's closing Sakura off…well the spy side of her anyways.'_

"You are no longer welcomed in my training sessions."

Sakura's mouth dropped to the floor. _'He can't do that! That's cruel and unusual punishment! Why would Itachi choose that, out of all of the things in the world, to take away from me?!' _"You can't be serious!" Sakura shouted.

Kakashi ignored Sakura and nodded his head to Itachi. "That is my decision and it can not be wavered." He continued on in his detached manner.

Sakura didn't know what to do. She was mad, angry, sad, pissed, every word that she could think of that meant livid. _'Fuck them all! I'll show them! I don't need Kakashi's help to learn what he does! I've gotten this far from teaching myself and they will regret taking the training away from me.' _Sakura was determined to prove them wrong.

Tsunade watched Sakura with worry as she turned on her toes and wordlessly walked out of the room. _'Sakura…' _She looked to Kakashi and shook her head. _'You stupid man…you can't even recognize your own daughter, a true father would put the pieces together…but you're too content to think that Sakura is in a safe little bubble. I'm glad I took her from you.' _"We will stay in touch." Tsunade plainly said, not meeting anyone's eyes, and walked out as well.

Jiraiya watched his two women exit the place and thanks to peer pressure he followed Tsunade out the door. _'Poor Sakura…but it was bound to happen…but who would have thought Itachi would react like THAT. It is truly strange.'_

Fugaku, Itachi, Kakashi, and Mikoto watched as their guests left the tension filled room in less than a second. Fugaku was the first to break the silence with a snort.

"Now we won't have that annoying spy anymore." He turned his head to Itachi; he still has not forgotten his disobedience. "Explain your actions Itachi." He commanded.

"I do not need to explain anything to you Father. Just remember, if you go against my orders I will hurt you even if you are my Dad." Itachi glared to enforce his meaning.

Mikoto let a small smile leak. _'He's starting to care for Sakura, bit by bit, and he doesn't even realize it. The way he stripped the spy in a matter of seconds' shows how ruthless he will be…but will the spy continue to relay us information? Even if he is cocky…he is very skilled in the area, he rivals Tsunade's skill.'_

Fugaku showed no emotion, no indication, that he understood Itachi's words, but unfortunately for Itachi his words did not scare Fugaku. _'I'll teach you to never defy me Itachi. Tonight I'll give that servant a night she will never forget and she can thank you for it. Then she'll hate you and whatever bewitched curse she's placed on you will vanish.' _He revealed nothing of his evil plan and walked out the door. "I'm going to bed." Was all he said.

Mikoto and Itachi waited for Fugaku to shut the main doors behind him before Mikoto broke the silence. "Itachi…what does Sakura mean to you?" She asked lightly.

Itachi turned to his mother and for the first time in his life he couldn't think of an answer. _'What does she mean to me?' _He asked himself. _'…that's…a good question.' _"Hn." Itachi reverted back to his one word answer that fit any situation.

Before Mikoto could deliver any more confusing questions to him he bowed deeply to his mother and excused himself to his room. _'There is much I have to think about.' _

Mikoto took a deep sigh and plopped herself in a chair in a very un-lady-like motion. "What am I going to do with you Itachi? You have something so great in front of you and if you don't figure it out in time…she could slip away…any minute her mother could realize her mistake and come back for Sakura. Sakura could already be betrothed to another Prince and then what?" She turned to the door that Itachi slipped out of. "You showed everyone tonight that you care for Sakura and just now you demonstrated a possessive side…and an Uchiha doesn't like to share." She giggled as she remembered when Fugaku was very possessive of her. He scared off half of her male servants and he made sure no man ever looked at Mikoto in an unsuitable fashion. _'Yes…very possessive indeed.'_

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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_**Author's Note:**_ Woahh now there is the hot scene I owe you all!! 20 pages fot you all I hope you enjoyed it! What will happen next?! The world may never know! Hehe just kidding you'll find out soon!!

REVIEW PLEASE!! :)


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Notes**_**: I'm happy to announce to say HERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER!! :) I hope you all enjoy it! **

**Dedicated to: **xXbunnyholicXx, stargazing-sweetie, The Reveiwer known as Name, Takakuma, jjdjd, sodapopgirly83, TeamTHEFT, Abmonkey8, nightwish635, TheVampyricAssassin, snorkabuziaczek, alwayslost123, Inner-me-is-chaos, XSweetXSourXSoulX, shadow miko, sleeping itasaku fangirl, LadyYakamichi, just-let-me-go, and midnightblue123

**Enjoy!**

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He was furious. _'How dare that spy touch what is mine,' Itachi_ moved through the hallways at a quickened pace.

His eyes scanned every corridor looking for a certain pink haired woman. _'Where is she?' _He grinded his teeth in frustration, how hard is it to find a servant with pink hair! _'There is one last place to look…' _If Sakura wasn't in her room, Itachi knew of one more place to check; the kitchen.

As he neared the kitchen he heard a thumping sound pounding away against the wall. Not allowing anymore time to slip away from him, Itachi kicked the door open. He entered through the kitchen door only to find himself evading the flying knife that came towards him. He followed the knife's path as it flew behind him and landed in the center of the wall. Black eyes looked around to see several more knives lodged in the same area. His attention turned to the front of the room to see a fuming Sakura with four more deadly sharp knives in-between her fingers.

"Sakura, what is going on?"

Sakura needed to release her anger. _'I can't go outside; Mikoto might come looking for me now that "the spy" has left.' _The only place she knew that possessed the perfect resources to help her free her anger was the kitchen.

Now here she was, five knives later and still enraged. She grabbed a handful of knives from the cabinet and prepared to throw them as hard as she possibly could. She closed her eyes and with a flick of her wrist, she sent one across the room. A stubbed sound filled Sakura's ears and a small amount of anger had vanished. While she cocked her wrist back in a familiar fashion, she heard a very recognizable voice, one that she had no desire to hear.

She stopped herself from intentionally releasing the knives, opened her eyes, and turned her head to the side. Her emotionless emerald eyes matched her tone. "What dose it look like Uchiha?" She flipped her pink hair to the side, making sure to cover the bruise on the side of her face.

Itachi resisted the urge to flinch from her heartless tone. _'What did that spy do to her?' _

"You know what I am asking." He told her while he took a few steps towards her.

When he came closer Sakura took a step back, putting needed space between them. "Stay the fuck away from me Uchiha." She growled.

Itachi stared at the tensed woman before him. He continued walking towards her, ignoring her warning. "Whose the one in charge here Sakura?"

Sakura glared at the Prince. _'I'm sure you think you're on top of the world.'_

"Whatever Uchiha." She didn't say anything more and slipped out the side kitchen door.

Itachi stood, dumbfounded, in the kitchen. He knew something was wrong with her, the way she hid her face from him, how she repelled against his advances, and she didn't want him anywhere near her. It was obvious she was hiding something from him. He felt like she didn't want him, and that, made him angry.

He never wanted to admit it, but after he assaulted her in the forest he yearned for her touch. He could never get over how well she fit against him, how she felt against him, the way she moved her petite body, every touch and stroke felt like pure ecstasy. He never will relinquish that feeling and as he stood in the deserted kitchen, alone, he felt empty. He missed her sarcastic remarks, her sassy attitude, and her presence. When he saw how angered she looked, how isolated she was from him, it annoyed him. _'Why do I feel annoyed by this? I have never cared about a woman's reactions, or emotions, and here I am standing in the middle of my kitchen looking like a buffoon. What has she done to me?' _Itachi pivoted on his heel and walked back to his original destination; his room. No one would have known of the emotional turmoil that resided in Itachi's head, for his face was set in stone.

When he closed his bedroom door he immediately went to the bathroom and began filling the tub with ice cold water. Itachi stripped himself of his royal robes and lowered his chiseled body into the ice water. The cold water met his skin and satisfaction coursed through Itachi's veins. _'Who would have thought that a simple servant could rattle me?' _He took a deep breath and slid into the water. After a minute his head came to the surface and he pulled out his elastic. His black hair hung freely around his face and the water droplets slid down his hair, making ripples in the water. _'No…she is not a normal servant…she has too much pride to be one.' _He gripped the sides of the rub and stared into his reflection. _'She never did tell me who she was…but I know someone who can.' _With a destination set in his mind Itachi jumped out of the tub, making the water splash out of the tub. He grabbed his black robe and sprinted down the hallway. _'Sakura can't come from a peasant family. She holds a rivalry with a Princess that has to indicate something…the question is what?'_

Mikoto moved from the chair to the window seat that overlooked the castle's grounds. She placed her head against the window as a sigh escaped her lips. _'God please send my son a sign.' _

Itachi ran into the room only to see his mother comfortably resting against the bay window. '_This is it.' _He soundlessly walked to Mikoto and sat next to her.

Mikoto felt the cushion dip from additional pressure, as she turned around a smile stretched across her face. _'Maybe my prayer was answered after all.'_

"What are you doing here Itachi? It's pretty late don't you think?"

Itachi sat, Indian style, staring into his mother's eyes, his face set in a serious line. "Who exactly is Sakura Haruno Mother?"

Mikoto's smile grew bigger at the mention of Sakura's name. "Sakura is making you that curious huh?"

Itachi allowed his stiffened posture to relax. "I…" He searched for the right way to phrase his words. "…she isn't a normal servant."

Mikoto inched closer to her son. "No Itachi she isn't, in fact, she isn't supposed to even be a servant."

"What?" This caught Itachi off-guard. _'How can Sakura be a servant if she isn't really supposed to be one?'_

"Itachi…Sakura…" Mikoto took a deep breath in. "How do I put this…Sakura should be in Ami's position."

Itachi stared at his mother as every piece of Sakura's puzzle came together. "You're telling me that she's a Princess." Itachi found it hard to picture the rebellious woman dressed in the frilly dresses, pouring tea, and talking properly with other royals.

"Yes Sakura should be a Princess, but her parents never came to claim her when the time came. Your father gave me two options, either set her out in town as an orphan or take her in as a servant. You know I would never allow a child the age of ten to roam around the streets alone, it would be a horrible thing to do. I allowed her to stay in the castle and as the years came and went Sakura grew into one of my personal servants." Mikoto sighed deeply as a small tear slid down her face. "It wasn't until recently that I have tried finding information regarding the Haruno's, it was the least I could do for all Sakura has been put through, but when I make a discovery about the family the information never clearly fits together."

Itachi sat in silence as the newly acquired information sank into his head. _'I'm glad Mother kept Sakura here…it wouldn't fit to have her anywhere else.' _Itachi imagined a broken pink haired little girl wandering around on the streets with no one to turn to, that picture made his heart clench inside, but he dismissed the feeling.

"Sakura would know more regarding her family." Itachi concluded.

Mikoto closed her eyes as another heart breaking sigh left her lips. "I don't think she'd tell us anything about them Itachi. Every time I bring up her family life, she completely side-tracks me, and changes the subject completely. Whatever happened to her family…it seems like a touchy subject to her. It would take a miracle to get her to talk about it with either one of us."

Itachi nodded his head in agreement. _'Just like how she distracted me in the forest, though I'm not one to complain on her methods of distracting me. I am curious to know about her history, she is a completely different woman, one that I have never met before. Everything she does breaks the natural way of society…a rare quality in women these days. She isn't afraid to speak her mind, she doesn't let anyone scare her from what she believes is right.'_

"You know, now that I think about it, she's like Kakashi when she does that."

"But Kakashi does it on the battlefield, with tactics and strategically planned moves." Itachi informed her, he personally couldn't see the connection between the two.

"I only wish I could find Sakura's parents for her. Imagine Itachi, being alone most of your life? To never have a father or mother for the majority of your life? I don't know how she does it, how she can still hold a smile on her face throughout the day, it blows my mind." Mikoto rested her head on Itachi's shoulder as respect for Sakura was found.

The two of them sat contentedly against each other, looking out into the night, thoughts about Sakura ran wild in their heads, and it would be a matter of time before more discoveries would be made.

'_The question is can Sakura give us that information.' _Mikoto thought as she rose from the position and walked Itachi and herself back to their sleeping quarters.

Meanwhile, Sakura ran away to seek comfort in her trusty straw bed. The castle was vacant, every person was sleeping the night away, and here she was wandering around the halls as the hours for sleep passed.

She walked down the seemingly endless hallway trying to control her anger. No matter what she did to distract herself from the sickening emotion, it managed to come back to her in full force. _'I hate everyone! Why can't life be as simple as it used to be?'_

Her footsteps echoed down the desolate hallway, as one foot landed on the title floor another footstep was heard, but it wasn't her own steps. _'Someone is following me. Who would be stupid enough to do that this late at night? Especially when I'm in such a sour mood?' _

Sakura stopped in mid-step and took a deep breath. She extended her foot out but didn't place it down on the tile, she waited to hear the stalker's footsteps making sure that she wasn't hallucinating. When the step was heard Sakura gracefully twirled around on the balls of her feet and glared into the shadows. Unfortunately Sakura didn't have time to react as a large hand clasped against her throat in a painful manner. The large person in front of her slammed her back against the wall, showing no mercy in his actions.

"You may have gotten away from me earlier, but now my son isn't here to save you. We have some unfinished business to attend to."

Sakura's eyes went wide. _'Fugaku!' _She growled and struggled against his tightening hold. _'What the hell does he want? Does he like making my life miserable?'_

"Let me go!" She screamed as her hands reached for his hands and began to pry them off her.

A sickening chuckle filled the corridor. "Oh I'll let you go…when I feel the time is right!" He tightened his hold on her neck, his fingernails digging into her skin.

Sakura felt his nails rip open her skin, she watched as her glossy red blood dripped down her neck and to the floor. All her pent up anger was increasing with every passing second. Fugaku's painful hold and annoying voice was driving Sakura over the edge. If he didn't shut up she wasn't sure she'd be able to stop herself from killing the man.

"I don't know what my son sees in you, but after tonight I'll show you what it means to be a quiet, obedient servant. The servant you're supposed to be."

Her fists tightened by her side. "I'm warning you King, if you don't release me…" She grinded her teeth together, using all her will power to hold back her anger that was dangerously rising.

Fugaku misunderstood her shaking body as fear. _'I've scared her. Good, it's about time something scared her.' _His sinister smile grew as he thought he saw the will-strong servant shake in fear.

"There is nothing you can…"

Sakura knew she couldn't control her rising temper. Every word that came out of Fugaku's mouth made it worse. Her control was dwindling and by the time he was ready to lecture her about how she was incapable of defending herself against him her vision was turning red. _'That's it! I'm tired of putting up with this man! No more being nice!' _

A sudden, uncontrollable, impulse ran through Sakura's veins. She gripped her fists tightly, turning her knuckles white, and as she took a deep breath in everything snapped. Her knuckles smashed brutally against a rock hard bone structure. She felt the pressure from her neck go away and watched the man skid across the floor to a halt.

Fugaku grunted out in pain as his body met the floor with a hard thud. A thud filled the hallway in a sickening tone. _'How dare she raise her hand to a King!' _He rose to his feet immediately but came face to face with an intimidating Sakura.

Sakura was an inch away from his face. His frustrated red eyes glared into her cold emerald ones. She looked at his face to see a growing bruise. _'A beautiful little present for you Fugaku. I think a bruise looks good on you. It shows that you aren't really a pussy.' _

The atmosphere around Sakura changed drastically. Fugaku continued to glare at Sakura while she stood in front of him with a murderous look. Sakura caught the way he shifted his weight back and forth between each leg. Her unnerving posture, stare, and silence was getting the better of Fugaku, sure he is the master of silence, but Sakura brought it up a notch. Never has he seen someone completely shut out every emotion from their being, it made the room feel ten times colder than before.

Without warning Sakura grabbed hold of Fugaku's fur collar and forced his back against the wall. Sakura moved her arm against his throat and pushed his head against the wall in a painful motion, even though he was two feet taller than her, she still managed to keep his oversized body pinned to the wall.

"Do you remember what I am Fugaku Uchiha?" Sakura exclaimed in a bone chilling tone.

Fugaku felt shivers crawl up his spine from her malicious tone. "What is there to remember? You're just a servant."

Sakura stared at Fugaku's throat, watching as every gulp and swallow he took outlined the very veins she knew she could cut in one swift motion. She banished her murdering thoughts from her mind and made her tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth. "Think harder Fugaku." She warned him.

"Why would I listen to someone like you?!" Fugaku yelled as he spit in her face. "You are nothing but the scum underneath my boots! The scum that I step on whenever it gets in my way!"

Sakura glared at the incompetent King and whipped the salvia that dripped down her face on her shoulder. She jerked the King forward, stepping away from the wall, and flipped him over her head. She released his body in mid-air and delivered a ruthless blow to his ribs.

Fugaku bit his tongue to hold back the scream he desperately wanted to release. _'I will not give her the satisfaction of a scream. How could I have let her get the upper hand? What happened to me?! I'm the King of Kohana for God's sakes! If anyone found out about this it would be the end of me!' _His body slammed down on the floor, once again, and Sakura smashed the bottom of her wooden her sandal against his throat, not giving him time to recover from his brutal landing.

"You have a horrible memory for an Uchiha, Fugaku." She pressed harder against his throat. "I did attend your wife's Princess classes. I was a soon-to-be-Princess…or did you "forget"?"

Fugaku's eyes went wide. Everything in the room disappeared; he forgot about the growing pressure on his airways and his bruised ego, all that mattered now was the forgotten information that Sakura revealed. _'That's…that's right. She was the little girl that Mikoto always talked about. She was one of the most promising Princesses I had ever seen. She followed orders without a fuss and she always caught on quickly. Her parents never came for her…so why should I…'_

"They will come back to claim me." Sakura answered his unasked question. "What would my father say if I told him about your stunts to personally give me special punishments?" Sakura lied while she pressed even harder against his throat, just to prove her point. _'I'll say anything to get him to stop messing with me.'_

Fugaku froze at her words. _'No one knows of her family's background, they could possess land that holds helpful resources that I bargain for. Her father could be a valuable asset during war, who knows what prestigious clan Sakura comes from. However, there is the other side of the story, where they could never come to take her back. Am I willing to take that chance?' _He squirmed under her foot as the feeling of lightheadedness passed through him.

With a sigh, Sakura eased her foot off his throat and the weary King shot up from the ground. His hands came to his neck as he rubbed the sore area that she almost crushed with her foot.

"Remember now? Back off your unnecessary beatings, like the one you were planning to give me." She ordered him with an all knowing smirk.

Fugaku stared at Sakura and numbly nodded his head at the informal agreement. _'It's scary how she figured out my plan, but it wasn't an unknown fury that I have held for this woman.'_

"In return you will never mention any of this to anyone." With his Uchiha pride crushed the King limped back to his sleeping quarters.

Sakura slid down to her kneed and felt tears beginning to fill her eyes. Today brought too much loneliness and heartbreak, she needed to talk to her mother. _'I'm not getting any sleep tonight.' _Sakura told herself as she threw on a linen cape and ran towards her mother's grave. _'Too much is clouding my mind for me to be able to anyways.'_

Over the hill top and down a cobblestone path, was a lone man kneeling in the dirt over a grave. No words were heard, only the sound of the crickets chirping filled the area.

'_I don't understand it Rin…I thought that getting rid of the spy would cheer me up…but in reality I feel like a piece of me is cut out. Why? For some strange reason I thought Sakura was safe with the mysterious spy, but how is that possible? That doesn't make sense. I also have noticed some strange behavior from the Itachi lately, why just tonight he defended your daughter from a royal beating. Do you think something could be happening between them?' _Kakashi snorted at his own thoughts and bowed his head towards the tomb stone. _'I will have to keep an eye on it Rin, I think Sakura would do him some good, it amazes me how she can still carry on the day with a smiling face. She's just like you in that aspect Rin, you'd be proud of her.'_

Kakashi kissed the stone in front of him and rose into a standing position. He took one last look at his wife's resting place and turned towards the giant entrance gate of the cemetery.

"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice rang through the silent moment.

Kakashi looked up from the ground and stared wide eyed at his daughter. _'When did she get here?'_

"Oh, hello Sakura." He flashed a lazy smile in her direction, truly surprised to see her. "What are you doing out here so late? Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Sakura stared at the man with curiosity. _'Why is he here next to my mother's grave?'_

"I couldn't sleep." She simply told him. "I come here to clear my head."

Kakashi nodded his head. "It is a quiet place to collect your thoughts isn't it?"

"Yes." She said with a small smile. "It's one of the reasons why I come here a lot."

"How often do you have to come here? I'm sure a woman like you has no worries in life." He said with a smile.

Sakura's smile turned into a slight frown. "I wish it was that simple." Her head turned towards the moon as it reseeded closer to the horizon, ready to switch places with the sun.

Kakashi moved next to Sakura and examined the way the black and white reflection dimly faded away. "How nice would it be if life didn't have a double edged sword? Everything would either be one side or the other, black or white."

Sakura looked up at the Knight and nodded her head. "If that was possible, then life wouldn't be as interesting as it is."

Kakashi looked down into emerald eyes and felt his breath being caught in his throat. _'Her eyes are just like Rin's, so full of emotion, so full of life. It's amazing she has been able to stay away from curious stares.' _

"You have a very good point Sakura." Kakashi answered back.

"So why are you at my mother's grave stone Kakashi?" Sakura changed topics.

Kakashi turned his head over his shoulder to look back at Rin's plaque. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Your mother and I…we are old friends. I've come to pay her a visit."

Sakura narrowed here eyes at the man. _'If you're a friend of my mother's how come I have never heard of you before?' _

Sakura went along with Kakashi's lie. "Paying a visit during the night? That's rather odd."

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders. "A life of a Knight makes your hours unpredictable. I visit her whenever I have the time."

"Oh…well I didn't mean to intrude I'll come back another time then."

Kakashi stared at his broken daughter, watching as her eyes seemed to daze off out of reality. He wanted to reach out to her, hold her, and tell her everything was going to be ok, but life wouldn't allow him the right.

"No it's ok." He reassured her. "I was just about to leave. Don't mind me."

Sakura was brought back to reality when Kakashi began to speak. She nodded her head. "Oh, ok."

Kakashi tilted his head in a gentleman manner and began walking towards the gate. "Don't stay out too late, I'm sure the King and Queen would not like to hear that their servant was out past hours."

Sakura nodded her head and watched the Knight disappear into the rolling hills. Sakura looked to her mother's grave and then the sky. The sun began to peak from behind the hills and the orange and pink hues spread their light across the land. _'I don't believe that man…I could always…no that would be rude and an invasion of privacy.' _Sakura giggled at herself. _'Who am I kidding?! That's what I do! What was his last name…Hatake right?'_

Sakura bowed down to her mother's grave and faced the direction of Tsunade's archives that resided deep underground. Everything about everyone ever to step foot in Fire country had a record in there. _'Then I can check out you're history Kakashi. Up for a history lesson?'_ Sakura asked herself as a smile flashed across her face and sprinted off in the direction.

Sakura shut the steel door behind her and turned towards the never ending isles of scrolls that littered the gigantic room. _'Time to start searching through the scrolls.' _Sakura launched herself into the scrolls skimming past every section, every person listed, until she found the scrolls she needed. She gingerly took the scrolls and made her way to the lone table that resided in the middle of the room.

'_Ok Mr. Kakashi lets see who you really are…' _Her hands unrolled the scroll and her eyes skimmed over the words. At first she read about Kakashi's prestigious family background, his father's death, and how he had to continue his father's duties all by the time he was fifteen. She found out that Kakashi left the army for a more exciting job, the Assassin's Guild.

"**Kakashi Hatake is a protégé in his own right. Switching from the King's army to the Assassin's Guild made Kakashi's name reach every village in Fire Country. At the age of sixteen he climbed the ranks of the Guild, showing the leader his raw skill in assassination. Enemies from all over the country shook in fear of the young lad, they gave him the nickname of the Copy Cat Assassin, he'd watch your every move, memorize it and before his enemies would know it Kakashi used their own attack against them. By the age of eighteen Kakashi had a reputation and the only thing he needed was a family."**

Sakura read with fascinated eyes. _'Kakashi was really a bad ass! I wonder what happened to his family. I've never heard Mikoto or Tsunade talk about them. I better keep reading!'_

"**One day, that all changed. He traveled to a small village deep within Fire Country, chasing a very dangerous target. While he was on his hunt the target got the better hand and ambushed Kakashi. His wounds were extensive and the native villagers found him lying lifeless on the ground. They brought him in the village and called their best doctor, Rin Haruno, to nurse him back to health."**

Sakura stopped reading the scroll and nodded her head. _'I guess Kakashi was telling the truth, he was friends with my Mother, but I'm not gonna stop now! This is too interesting!'_

"**During the month, Kakashi and Rin had become close with each other. The villagers could tell that each other held feelings for one another, but the couple was too oblivious to see it. Kakashi stayed in the village longer than he needed to, making him miss the chance to kill his target. Word made its way back to Kohana that the legendary Kakashi had failed in his duty, but the Leader knew something that others didn't bother to see, Kakashi had fallen for the Princess."**

Sakura's mouth dropped to the floor. _'Gross! He liked my Mom?! That's just nasty! I can't picture my mom with Kakashi! They are two completely different people! He's some weird assassin, now Knight, and she was the sweetest, kindest person I've ever known.'_

"**It wasn't a well kept secret about how the Princess felt about Kakashi and word got around that Rin was thinking of leaving her position as heir to the throne if Kakashi asked for her hand in marriage. That faithful day came, sooner than anyone expected, Kakashi proposed to the Princess and she eagerly accepted. When Rin broke the news to her father, the King was furious; he didn't want his daughter to be handed over to a killer. It didn't sit well with the King, he tried with all his might to convince Rin to back out of the marriage but she wouldn't listen to him. It wasn't until Kakashi convinced the King to allow him to take Rin's hand in marriage."**

Sakura's hands shook and pure shock made her whole being freeze. _'Kakashi…Kakashi married my mother?! Which means…HE'S MY DAD? The nasty Knight I completely bashed is my DAD?!'_

Sakura stared at the scroll as all the encounters she's had with Kakashi flashed in her mind. _'It makes sense now…the reason why I felt safe with him, how it was so easy to tell him a little bit about my past, how I was able to start a regular conversation with him hours ago…No wonder it all felt right! He must know who I am then! When he offered for me to experiment with the sword, how he only told me he was a friend of my Mom…'_

Sakura took the two scrolls and placed them in her belt. _'There are a few people I need to pick a bone with.' _She rushed out of the tightly guarded archives and ran towards town. _'How long have they all known this little secret?'_

Tsunade and Jiraiya sat in Iruka's kitchen in silence. No one knew what to say to one another.

"Do you think Sakura is ok?" Iruka asked truly worried.

Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. "In all honesty Iruka I don't know. When Itachi stripped away her training it was like her whole world came crashing down on her."

"But who would have guessed that Itachi would react the way he did?" Jiraiya filled in. "I've never seen him like that before."

"What do you mean Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya turned to Iruka and rested his elbow against the wooden table. "His emotions were practically running wild. He was appalled that spy Sakura even mentioned servant Sakura. He even punched Sakura in the face for suggesting some sexual situations. If I could guess, and with these things I am always right, I'd say Itachi has a little crush on our Sakura." He finished with a big grin.

Iruka's mouth dropped to the floor. "He hit her?!" Iruka was very worried now, but realization set it, "If Itachi does have a crush on Sakura how would he feel if he found out he punched the very woman he was trying to protect?"

Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows Iruka, but I don't think the Prince has a crush on Sakura." She finished as she smacked the perverted old man upside the head. "Don't go filling Iruka's head with false information."

"Tsunade you can't deny it." Jiraiya tilted his head to the side. "What else could be the answer to the way he reacted? Not one Prince that I know of would care as deeply as Itachi does about servant Sakura. Sure you can rule in the fact that Sakura has been with them for years, but it doesn't matter, you can't witness rage and jealousy like that based on friendship."

Iruka nodded his head in agreement. "Jiraiya has a point Tsunade."

Tsunade huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well either way Sakura won't want anything to do with him now."

"Why does she care so much about this training anyways?" Jiraiya questioned. "It's not like Sakura to want to figure out other ways to kill her information. She'd have to enroll in the Assassin's Guild if she wanted to kill."

"Do you think she knows?" Iruka thought with hope in his eyes. _'It would be such a happy sight to see Sakura and Kakashi together again!' _

Tsunade shook her head. "No, she'd come bursting through your doors Iruka, demanding to cut our throats out, and to explain why we never told her in the very beginning."

"Then it's something deeper than that." Iruka concluded. "Why would she hide it from us? We are her family."

"There are some things you keep away from your family to keep them safe." Jiraiya explained. "We can't expect Sakura to spill everything to us; we don't know what happened to her before we saved her from her lonely life."

"True, but…" Iruka was cut off by a slamming of a door.

"TSUNADE, JIRAIYA, IRUKA!" Sakura roared at the top of her lungs.

The three names in questioned slowly turned around to see a fuming Sakura practically growling at them.

"Hello Sakura." Jiraiya waved timidly. _'God she's scary.' _

"What's wrong Sakura?" Iruka asked as he worriedly walked over to her side.

Sakura glared at each and every person in the room. She stepped away from Iruka's worried embrace, noticing how hurt he looked, and continued on. "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"

"Tell you what Sakura?" Tsunade asked, truly confused by her apprentice's accusation.

"DON'T HAND ME THAT SHIT TSUNADE! YOU KNEW WHO MY DAD WAS ALL ALONG AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME?!"

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka both looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Who do you think your Dad is Sakura?" Iruka asked. _'Please tell me she did find out! That would be my dream come true.'_

"KAKASHI, OBVIOUSLY!"

The three adults smacked their foreheads at the same time. _'Looks like Tsunade's description of what would happen was true.' _Jiraiya thought.

"Sakura please don't be angry with us." Iruka said calmly.

Sakura glared at Iruka. "HOW CAN I NOT BE IRUKA?! YOU CAN'T JUST HIDE THAT KIND OF INFORMATION FROM SOMEONE FOREVER YOU KNOW!"

Tsunade rose from the table and glared at Sakura. "SAKURA! ENOUGH!" Her voice boomed over Sakura's effortlessly.

Sakura closed her mouth immediately and waited for her teacher to continue. "Yes we kept it from you, but don't you see? It was for your own good. If you told you any earlier you would have broke a long time ago, you would have tried to spend time with Kakashi, and he would ignore you."

Sakura's glare vanished and focused on her wiggling toes in her sandals. "How long have you all known?" Her tough exterior began to fall apart; her voice shrank to a whisper.

Iruka inched closer to Sakura and patted her shoulder. "Remember that night I found you on my back porch?"

Sakura nodded her head. "The following day you brought in Tsunade and Jiraiya, that's when you three got me into spying." Sakura smiled at the memory of her twelve year old self trying to learn the skills of a spy.

"We knew who you were once you told us your full name Sakura." Tsunade added in.

Sakura looked at her mentor. "But then how come no one else has been able to figure it out?"

Tsunade rested one hand on her hip with her posture slouched to the side. "Sakura, look who you're talking to, you're talking to the best spy in Fire Country. There is nothing I don't know."

Sakura giggled at Tsunade's cocky attitude. "That's very true…is my Mother's family that well hidden?"

Jiraiya nodded his head. "You see Sakura; your Mom was the best doctor in the land. Everyone would come to her so she could cure them; your grandfather hid your mother far away. He was rather protective of Rin."

"How he allowed Kakashi to marry her is still a mystery to me." Tsunade mumbled out loud.

Sakura nodded her head in understanding. "Then why did she enroll in the same Guild Kakashi did?"

Iruka ruffled Sakura's hair in a loving manner. "Rin was a very active person Sakura, she hated to sit home and watch Kakashi leave her behind, though when you were born she didn't mind it one bit." He finished with a smile.

Sakura looked at the three smiling faces before her as a disturbing thought crossed her mind. _'Then…did he not want me?' _The thought that her own blood denied her made her tears resurface. Iruka held her tightly as she slid to the floor. "h-h-how could he just leave me like that? Didn't he want me?" She stuttered out.

Iruka slid down with Sakura's falling body and tried to comfort her. "No Sakura, of course he wanted you!" Iruka took her into a hugging embrace, when he rubbed her back, Sakura began to shake and she couldn't hold back her tears.

Tsunade and Jiraiya joined them on the floor and placed one hand on Sakura's shoulder. They sat there in silence as Sakura cried over the brutal truth.

Sakura allowed her tears to fall freely from her eyes. There was no point in hiding them anymore; she was surrounded by the people who have been with her from the very beginning. _'They were only trying to help me.' _She clutched onto Iruka for dear life as another wave of tears erupted. _'Why could a father leave his daughter to live the harsh life of a servant? Social class or not, it's a traumatizing life to give someone.'_

"Sakura…" Tsunade said as Iruka passed the shaking Sakura off to her mentor. "You see how shaken you are?" She said softly while she held Sakura tightly against her. "Imagine if we told you when you were younger? You'd be broken and what kind of a mentor would I be if I allowed you to endure that pain?"

Sakura sniffled and hiccupped as the tears slowly subsided. Her breath came back to her slowly as she sucked in the oxygen she needed. _'Tsunade is right…if I was any younger…I'd be so heart broken that I'd be a hindrance to anyone around me. I wouldn't be as cheerful, as lively, as I am today. I'd isolate myself from everyone.'_

Jiraiya took Sakura from Tsunade and he smothered Sakura into his chest. "Listen kido; think about it from Kakashi's point of view. He is just like you; he has enemies that are willing to kill anyone that is dear to him in a blink of an eye. When he found out about you Sakura, you were the first thing he thought about every day. I can see it in his eyes, he wants to be with you, but the life he chose won't let him."

Sakura nodded her head against his chest and hugged Jiraiya tightly. _'He isolated himself from me in order to protect me from his horrible line of work. I remember when Mom would tell me stories about how she joined his work…he was furious…now I see why. He cared for her and me so much…I can only imagine the pain he must go through every day.'_

Jiraiya waited for the pink haired woman to sniffle away the tears before he released her from his chest. When Sakura dried her tears she smiled at everyone and gathered them into a group hug.

"Thank you all." She told them. "Thank you…for everything."

Tsunade smiled softly. "It is what family does Sakura." She told her as she returned Sakura's hug.

Iruka nodded his head and waited for his turn to hug the happy Sakura. "We would do anything for you Sakura, you know that."

Jiraiya watched as Sakura hugged everyone else but him. "Oh Sakura! You forgot about me!"

"He, he sorry Jiraiya!" She threw herself at the man and gave him a tight squeeze.

"Oh is this all I have to say to get you to come to me in open arms?!" Jiraiya moved his hands down her back and his eye brows went up in an all knowing manner.

"Jiraiya! You pervert!" Sakura screamed as she slapped him upside the head.

Tsunade and Iruka laughed at the typical display between the two people. "Don't hurt him too badly Sakura, I need him as hard as that may seem." Tsunade said with a giggle.

Sakura stopped tackling Jiraiya to the ground and nodded her head enthusiastically. "You have a point Tsunade."

Jiraiya shot up from the ground and began to fake cry. "You women abuse the poor Jiraiya! And they say men are the abusive species?!"

Sakura launched herself at Jiraiya and she hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry Jiraiya, but you asked for it." She giggled as she squeezed him tightly.

Iruka smiled at the sight before him. _'I guess it really did work out for the best Tsunade.' _He watched as Sakura laughed with her friends as if she didn't have a care in the world. _'I always hoped that Kakashi would be able to give her a family that she needed, but it turns out, that we managed to give her that all on our own.' _And that made Iruka smile a sincere and happy smile.

"So…how long has Kakashi known about me?" Sakura asked, hoping not to break the friendly atmosphere.

Jiraiya and Tsunade looked at Iruka. Iruka looked at Sakura, his smile never vanishing as he answered her question. "Not too long ago Sakura, he came smashing through here like a bull in a china shop, he asked Tsunade, Jiraiya, and myself to watch over you. He's very protective of you."

"This would explain why he stopped training with you." Tsunade informed.

Sakura nodded her head. _'So I wasn't too delayed in finding out the information that makes me feel better.' _

"I guess I can't blame him." Sakura said with a sigh. _'Though, I was enjoying the training.'_

"Sakura you better head back to the castle." Tsunade said as she noticed the positioning of the sun. "Mikoto might come look for you early."

"Oh crap! You're right!" Sakura exchanged her goodbyes and ran off towards the Castle as fast as she could. _'I hope they haven't noticed I've been gone.' _

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka watched their frantic Sakura run into the sunrise.

"I wonder when she'll confront him." Iruka said with a weak smile on his face.

Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at each other and shook their heads. "She'll tell him when the time is right Iruka, don't worry." Jiraiya reassured his old friend.

Tsunade nodded her head. "If I know Sakura she wont be able to keep that to herself for very long, she'll get impatient that he wont say anything and she'll confront him about it, in a very blunt way."

Iruka chuckled at his mental image of Sakura charging at Kakashi and spilling the news to him. "She's just like Kakashi sometimes it's scary."

The two spies laughed as well and nodded their head in agreement. "You've got a very good point." Tsunade said.

Sakura sprinted towards the castle at a record breaking speed. _'Come on legs go faster!' _Sakura ran past the guards in a blur, jumping over the Iron Gate and towards the Uchiha Garden. _'Almost there!' _The distance between the castle and Sakura was decreasing with every step. Sakura was fifty feet away from the back door when she heard a frustrated scream echo through the backyard. Sakura stopped in mid-step, debating if she should check out the noise or ignore it and run to her bed. Being the concerned woman that she was, Sakura turned away from the castle and followed the screams. _'I wonder what all the noise is for.'_

Sakura slowed down to a walk as she came to a small clearing deep in the back of the Gardens. She hid behind a tree and watched as the youngest Uchiha attacked a tree with his fists.

"Ahhh!" Sasuke yelled out as he continued punching the tree's trunk over and over.

His fists landed against the tree ruthlessly as tears rolled down his face. Sakura watched sadly as the youngest Prince struggled to stay on his feet. _'Poor Sasuke…I know I haven't seen much of him…but he seems like he's in pain.'_

Sakura didn't want to see him suffer anymore and she began to walk towards the fallen Uchiha. His body moved back and forth as his heavy breathing shook him. Sasuke heard footsteps coming his way and his head automatically popped up. Disappointed black met sympathetic green as Sasuke glared at Sakura.

"What do you want?" He growled out. "Leave me alone! You're just a servant you shouldn't be out here, let me be alone!"

Sakura didn't stop staring at him and sank down to her knees right next to him. "I may be a servant Sasuke, but I might know more than you think."

Sasuke turned his attention to the tree in front of him. "How could you possibly know anything?!"

Sakura placed a comforting hand on his shaking shoulder. "Easily." She told him. "Right now you suffer from a feeling that you can't express because if you do, your father will hold it against you, which in return would make you look like a fool in his eyes."

Sasuke stiffened at her accurate words. He slowly turned his attention back to Sakura and slowly nodded his head. "How…how did you know that?"

Sakura removed her hand from his shoulder and sat down, pressing her back against the tree. "I told you, I know more than you think." She informed him as she looked out into the gardens.

Sasuke was curious about Sakura, he had seen the way his older brother acted towards his father the night before, and it scared Sasuke. _'Itachi has never shown such emotion around anyone, let alone go against Father's order…what is so special about this servant?' _He extended his hands out to examine his bloody knuckles, the sight itself made him furious all over again.

"I don't understand it! Why is everything that I do he never notices me?! All he cares about is Itachi! Itachi this, Itachi that. What about me! Don't I matter?! He can't just shut me out! I'm his son too!"

Sakura watched as Sasuke tightened his injured hands as the blood oozed out of the open cuts. Her eyes watched the frustrated young Prince struggle to understand what she just recently discovered. _'I don't care if he's been a jerk to me; no one deserves to go through what I had to go through.'_

"Ever thought that he might be hiding the real life from you?"

"What?" Sasuke looked from his droplets of blood on the grass and stared at Sakura urging her to continue.

"I mean…ever think of it as him trying to better your experience?" Sakura almost vomited in her mouth at the fact that she was helping out the King. _'Remember Sakura, you're not doing it for Fugaku, you're doing it for Sasuke.' _She told herself.

"Why would he do that? All he cares about it Itachi." Sasuke mumbled in defeat as he crossed his hands over his chest. "It's unfair."

Sakura shook her head. "He does that as a way for him to get you to succeed further than Itachi. Instead of telling you what you did wrong, like a normal parent would, he uses Itachi to motivate you."

Sasuke snorted at Sakura's words. "And it works." He admitted sadly.

Sakura turned her whole body in Sasuke's direction. "He keeps you out of the real news in order for you not to see how badly he screwed up, he knows you look up to him, he doesn't want to tarnish your image of him. He keeps you isolated…to protect you from everything that he can. You might think that he doesn't care for you, but in all reality he cares for you more than you can even imagine."

Meanwhile, Mikoto was running around the castle looking for the very same pink haired woman that Sasuke was conversing with. She pulled over every servant to as for their help but they all came up empty handed. She noticed Itachi and Fugaku with Kakashi out on the back porch in the gardens.

"Oh! Thank goodness!" She ran over to her cluster of men and sighed in relief.

Kakashi looked at the heavy breathing Queen in curiosity. "What's wrong Mikoto?"

"Have you seen Sakura anywhere? I've been looking all over for her."

Fugaku stiffened at the mention of the emotionless servant. "Why are you looking for her?" He growled out.

Itachi stared at his father and then to his mother. "Did you ask the other servants Mother?"

Mikoto nodded her head. "Yes I have but they said they haven't seen her." She turned her attention back to her husband only to see a swollen cheek. "Oh my god! Fugaku! What happened to you?!"

Fugaku turned his head to the gardens. "Nothing Mikoto."

Mikoto was about to press the matter but Kakashi shook his head. "Don't try Mikoto, Itachi and I have been trying to get him to talk about it all morning, he doesn't want to talk about it."

Mikoto stared at her husband in a suspicious manner but noticed movement in the forest. "Did you see that?"

Kakashi, Itachi, and Fugaku looked in the direction of the garden but saw nothing.

"We don't see anything Mikoto." Kakashi sighed and patted her shoulder. "You're just stressed out, don't worry I'm sure Sakura will show up soon."

Mikoto shrugged off the Knight's hand and elegantly walked towards her garden. "I know what I saw Kakashi, now if you three men don't want to accompany me I will go by myself." She said without looking back.

"We should follow her." Itachi said as he joined his mother's side.

Fugaku grunted and joined his wife's side, Kakashi followed close behind the three royal members as they tip-toed through the greenery. Mikoto heard chattering voices ahead and her heart leaped with joy. _'I knew someone was in here!' _Her pace increased and the men behind her ran after her.

Mikoto stared wide eyed behind a tree as she watched her youngest son chat to Sakura. _'I should have known that Sakura would be here.'_

Itachi narrowed his eyes at Sakura. _'She looks content now.' _As he looked closer he could see the bruise on her cheek. _'Where did that come from?'_

Kakashi felt a small smile grace his lips; his daughter was a social butterfly it seemed. He also noticed the bruise on her cheek and he stiffened. _'I didn't notice that last night…when did she get that?'_

Fugaku glared at Sakura. _'You better not be tainting my youngest son Sakura, otherwise I'd have to break our promise and not hold back.'_

The four of them crouched down behind a bush hiding from the unsuspecting duo chatting before them.

Sasuke looked at Sakura as she explained his own father's actions to him. _'How does she know so much? I can see how Itachi and Mom are attached to her…she's…different.'_

"How can you know all this?" Sasuke asked something about her made him want to know more.

Sakura smiled at the young Prince. "You could say that I've been around the block a few times."

"You're not a normal servant…are you?" Sasuke suspected. _'She's too smart to be a servant.'_

Sakura shook her head. "No, that I am not."

"Then why are you one?"

Sakura looked at Sasuke, shocked. _'I have never been asked that question before. I like this little kid.' _A smile replaced her shocked expression.

Mikoto covered her mouth to hold down her squeal of delight. _'Maybe we will figure out the missing information!'_

Itachi grinded his teeth together, if Sakura answered all of Sasuke's question's why couldn't she answer his? _'What does Sasuke have that I don't?'_

"It was either become a servant or live on the streets, and trust me Sasuke, I'd rather be beaten to death then resort to stealing food from other civilians."

Sasuke nodded his head. "I can understand that. If I had the choice…I'd choose the same thing."

"Don't let him get to you Sasuke; you're stronger than that, as I've seen through the dent in the tree trunk." She added a giggle to lighten the mood.

For the first time in Sakura's life she saw an Uchiha actually smile. Even though Sasuke's was a small one, it was a true, sincere, smile. "Thanks, but don't tell anyone you saw me crying, and then I'd really be in for it."

Sakura nodded her head. "Trust me your secret is safe with me."

Fugaku grew angry at the friendly display. _'She's poisoning his mind with her words! She will back off!' _He ignored his wife's pulling as he stood up and stomped over to Sakura and Sasuke.

Kakashi, Mikoto, and Itachi watched the livid King storm over to the smiling duo.

"What has gotten into that man?" Mikoto asked to no one in particular.

Itachi felt his muscles tighten, waiting in anticipation for his Father to make the wrong move. Kakashi stayed in his crouched position analyzing the situation before him.

Sakura heard angry footsteps come towards them and when she turned towards the disturbance Fugaku entered her line of sight.

"Hello Father." Sasuke called out. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura stood in front of Sasuke as she watched his muscles tense and his fists shake.

"Get away from my son Sakura." He growled out, glaring solely at Sakura.

"Dad, we were just talking, no harm done."

"Sasuke get away from that wretched servant." Fugaku ordered, straining himself from not attacking Sakura.

Sasuke looked at his new friend and then back at his shaking father. "Why? She didn't do anything wrong. I asked her to come out here." Sasuke covered up. _'I hope he doesn't hurt her, she's not as bad as he makes her out to be.'_

"Look what you did!" Fugaku snarled out at Sakura. "You turned my own son against me!"

Sakura stood her ground at the fuming Uchiha before her. "I did no such thing Fugaku."

Mikoto gasped. "Oh Sakura no! He's going to kill you!"

"Relax Mikoto; I think Sakura might have a trick up her sleeve." Kakashi said as he noticed the arrogant air that rolled off Sakura.

Itachi noticed it too. _'What could she possibly hold against my Father?'_

"Don't push your luck with our deal Sakura. It is taking more to hold myself from not killing you now than ever before."

Sasuke stared at the woman in front of him. "What kind of deal did you make with my Dad?"

"Sakura made a deal with Fugaku? For what?" Mikoto wondered out loud.

Itachi stared at the pink haired woman and saw a smirk flash across her face. _'What is going on?!'_

Kakashi had a bad feeling about the scene that was starting to unravel. _'What did my daughter get into now?' _Kakashi was starting to figure out that she was a bad luck charm when it came to trouble.

Sakura nodded her head. "Yes I did, and if he charges at me now the deal is off." She clearly stated.

"What kind of deal?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura looked straight at the King. "Why not tell your son Fugaku, maybe he'll learn from your mistake."

Everyone watched in suspense as Fugaku shook in rage. His fists curled tightly against his sides while his face turned bright red. No one had seen the King this angry ever before. Sakura watched as his legs spread apart, ever so slightly, and his fists rose to his sides.

"I'm ending your preposterous deal myself!" He roared out. "Your family will never come to claim you! You're a arrogant, selfish, freak of a child that should be grateful that Mikoto allowed you to say as long as she has!"

Mikoto glared at her husband's words. "That is not my husband." She stated in disgust. "My husband would never degrade someone like that."

'_Sakura made a deal with my Father involving her family? For what?'_

Kakashi controlled his anger as Fugaku shouted at Sakura. _'You have no idea what you're talking about Fugaku.' _He looked at Sakura, waiting for her reaction, when he saw her smile he couldn't help but sigh in relief. _'She knows it's a lie too, don't believe anything he says Sakura, one day I will tell you the truth, when I know you aren't in any danger.'_

Sakura let out a loud chuckle at Fugaku's words. "You think that hurts King Uchiha? I know what happened to my parents, I know more than you think I do." She turned to Sasuke and gave him a wink.

That was the last straw for the raging mad King. "I want you away from my son now!" And with a raging battle cry he sprinted towards the pink haired servant. "You may have beaten me last night, but we are in the daylight, and I'm well rested. You can't win!"

Mikoto gasped as she watched her husband charge. "Sakura…Sakura gave him the bruises?"

Itachi numbly nodded his head, completely shocked that Sakura had the audacity to lay a hand on his father. _'What exactly happened last night? I know I should jump in…but I want to see her fight. Shizune said that she got into street fights…I wonder how good she really is.' _

Kakashi stared, wide eyed, at his daughter. _'She punched the King?!' _He looked up to the sky and smiled in his head. _'You'd be jumping up and down in your grave Rin if you could see this. Sakura did what you always wanted to do.' _He returned his sights back to the sprinting King. _'I should stop this before it gets out of hand, but, another part of me is telling me Fugaku needs to fight this one on his own.'_

Sasuke stood behind Sakura, frozen in place. _'She…she beat up my dad?!' _He eyed Sakura up and down, unable to imagine Sakura landing a punch on his well-built dad. _'I feel like I should be cheering for my Father…but I have a gut feeling that he deserves whatever Sakura is going to give him. Besides! I want to see a fight!'_

Sakura dug her heels into the ground as she braced herself for Fugaku's punch. "If that's what you want King." She said with a smirk still on her face. "I won't hold back this time."

'_Even though I had no sleep last night I can still embarrass this King. I've put up with his shit for too long and I let him off with a warning this time, looks like he needs some sense knocked into him!'_

Sakura knew that if she lost, she'd be kicked out of the castle for sure, but maybe if she won…he'd realize he should back off and let her be. This fight would be the deciding factor for Sakura's future in the Uchiha Castle. _'It will give Sasuke something to watch.' _Her head quickly turned to the bushes where Itachi, Mikoto, and Kakashi were hiding in. _'It will give all of them a chance to see that I can finally take care of myself.'_

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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_**Author's Note:**_ 29 pages everyone! This is the longest chapter I have ever written. I told you it would be juicy and I delivered! I hope you all enjoyed it and please feel free to give me any thought or advice about how I can improve :)

I knwo a lot has happened in this chapter and if it felt a little rushed I apoligize, it was all a chain reaction as i began to type out the story, again I hope you enjoyed it! :)

THANKS FOR READING!

PLEASE REVIEW!


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Notes**_**: I'm…I'm speechless! I can't believe how many reviews I have gotten! Thank you all so very much for the encouragement! Thanks to all the reviews, I am updating very fast this time. Well…there is also the fact that I will not be back till the 22****nd****, I will be away, and I won't be able to reply to everyone's review like I normally do. I figured my cliff hanger was too cruel to leave for soo long.**

**Dedicated to: **Emilx311, jjdjd, Gobi5no5Houkou, stargazing-sweetie, Takakuma, TeamTHEFT, xRedHasAppearedx, alwayslost123, xXbunnyholicXx, TheVampyricAssassin, reader, ceres, snorkabuziaczek, sodapopgirly83, XSweetXSourXSoulX, LadyPassionofHate, shadow miko, Inner-me-is-chaos, nickeledwards, The Reveiwer known as Name, Abmonkey8, Siah Yasana, Ananomus, just-let-me-go, nightwish635, Elise Connery, Duuuuuudette, Guido Dona, and midnightblue123

**Also! Before I begin, those who are anonymous reviewers, if you would like, tell me your email so I can thank you properly and respond to what you wrote! I feel bad that I can't properly thank you.**

**Enjoy!! Sorry for the long note!**

* * *

"I think it would be a safe idea to take a couple steps back Sasuke." Sakura told him as she waved him away. "I don't want you to get caught in the aftereffects of this brawl."

Sasuke nodded his head, eyes wide, and jumped on top of a tree branch that dangled over his head. _'Sweet! I got the best seat in the house!'_

Sakura's eye narrowed at Fugaku's charging body. _'For a King he gets himself worked up. Every fighter knows that in order to have an even fight they must have a clear state of mind.'_

He charged at the unmoving Sakura, while his bloodthirsty red eyes stared her down, trying to shake her. He swung his muscular arm backwards and when he came close to Sakura's personal space he released his powerful punch.

Sakura had to think fast. _'If I block the punch two things can happen: either my cover will be blown or I'd have to take the punch and deal with the pain.' _With a sigh Sakura twisted her head slightly to the right and felt a fist connect with her cheek bone.

Mikoto covered her mouth in worry when she saw Sakura fly to the opposite end of her garden. _'Oh no! Sakura!' _She glared at her raging husband secretly hoping he could feel the hatred she held for him.

Kakashi twitched as the force of the punch echoed through the area. _'That's gonna leave a mark.' _He thought sadly. His eyes studied his daughter's body that recoiled off a tree trunk. _'Come on Sakura, at least surprise him.' _Kakashi knew his daughter didn't possess the skill to defeat Fugaku, sure she was able to land a good sized punch on him last night, but Fugaku was a very ruthless fighter when provoked. He prayed to the higher power for Sakura to possess the ability to defend herself.

Itachi bit his tongue to distract himself from jumping into the fight once he saw Sakura's body fly across the greenery. _'I'll give you five minutes Sakura, if you can't win by then I'll step in…that's as much as I can take.' _His last thought caught him off guard, he didn't know where it came from, but as he thought about it the more he saw the truth behind his thoughts.

Sasuke retreated closer to the tree trunk as he felt the force of the punch his father mercilessly planted on Sakura. _'Come on! Fight back Sakura! You're better than this!' _Even though Sasuke had never seen Sakura fight, and just met her, the way she carried herself gave him a hint of her power.

Sakura let her body drop the ground, arms out wide, legs spread apart. _'Lucky me,' She_ groaned. _'My face matches Fugaku's now, how cute.' _She thought bitterly.

Fugaku's steps became louder as they carried him to Sakura's fallen body. Sakura moved her hand to the side and grasped the life sized branch next to her. She jumped to her feet and twirled the broken tree branch in between her hands. Fugaku jumped back, startled by her sudden movement. He watched as she swirled the branch around her fingers but the display didn't scare him. He continued to pressure her into a cornered position.

Sakura took his persistent steps as an invitation to attack. _'Remember Sakura; keep this as unpolished and street-like as possible.' _She poked and jabbed at Fugaku's chest, hitting certain areas at random, knowing which areas to avoid, and escaping suspicion from everyone.

Fugaku held his breath as the branch dug into his abdominals. He grabbed the stick with a sturdy hand and flipped her over his head. _'Now I'm going to break that excuse of a weapon.' _He held onto the stick, pulling it away from her grasp. He brought the top of his knee to meet the branch and in one swift movement he used his knee to snap it snapped in half.

Sakura used the distraction to her advantage, while he was busy breaking her weapon, she grabbed a rock and hurled it at his shoulder. _'There is no such thing as skill; it is only when luck meets opportunity.' _She thought with a smirk as her unplanned attacks were working in her favor. _'It would have been nice to try some moves I've learned on him…but I have some audience members that make that impossible.' _

Fugaku felt the rock hit him in the shoulder. He threw the two ends of the stick to the side, nostrils flailed, and his chest heaved forward. "You witch! You like to play dirty don't you?"

Sakura flashed him a smile and nodded her head. "But of course! How else would I fight?!" She answered excitedly.

Fugaku charged, again, towards Sakura, aiming to push her legs from underneath her. _'If I do that, then she will be vulnerable to any attack that I deliver. Let's see how you like to have a foot stepping on your throat, but unlike you, I won't be relieving the pressure.'_

Sakura giggled out loud as she jumped up and grabbed hold of the very convenient tree branch that grew above her head. "Too slow!" She yelled to him as his lower leg kicked the empty air where her legs once stood.

Fugaku kicked at air and propelled his leg backwards. He skipped backwards into the center of the battlefield trying to find Sakura's hidden location. His eyes scanned the tree tops, looking for the slightest leaf to move, that would give away her location.

Itachi nodded his head at Sakura's smart move. Mikoto watched the sickening scene with worried eyes, knowing very well why she never liked watching her loved ones battle. Kakashi stood perfectly still, observing Sakura's every movement. While Sasuke, stood on the edge of his branch, the excitement getting the best of him.

'_This battle is awesome! I've never seen Father fight like this before!'_

"Come out!" Fugaku yelled as he brought out three daggers, from inside his royal cape, and twirled them around his fingers absentmindedly.

Sakura looked down from her strategically placed hiding spot and dangled her legs over the tree branch. Her legs kicked back and forth in a childish manner as Fugaku circled below her, waiting for her to make a move. To please his eager anticipation she took off one of her sandals and tossed it to a tree top ten feet away from her.

Fugaku heard movement in a tree and tossed one knife towards the source of the sound. A thump rolled through the field indicating Fugaku's failed attempt. _'I missed.' _He guard rose even higher and his grip on the remaining knives grew tighter.

Sakura took off her other shoe and tossed it overhead to a tree east of her location. Fugaku heard the noise, but didn't throw the knife at the source of the bang. His body pivoted around, estimating where Sakura could possibly be. _'I will not fall for that again. That's a child's move.'_

"Stop hiding, you know you can't win. Now save us all the trouble and give up." He said indifferently.

Sakura knew it was a trap, it was clearly evident. _'He is using my anger to trick me into attacking, that way I can give away my position.' _Even with that thought she still wanted to humor him. She stood up from her tree branch and jumped off the very edge of it. Fugaku heard another movement and contemplated on throwing the knife at the rather obvious ruffle of leaves.

'_It could be a trap again…' _He thought to himself.

His eyes fell to the ground only to see his shadow getting bigger. _'What the…!' _

Sakura extended her leg down while her jump descended her down towards the unsuspecting King's head. "Peek-a-boo!" She shouted in a silly tone.

Fugaku looked up with stunned eyes as the pink haired servant flew down above him. He sidestepped away from her painful blow and her leg hit the ground. Sakura retracted her leg and allowed her body to dodge Fugaku's stabs.

The audience watched with growing astonishment as Sakura kept up with Fugaku's speed. Her body twisted and twirled around in elegant circles evading every direction Fugaku thrusted his knives to her.

Fugaku was impressed by the speed Sakura sustained while he continued to try to slice her with his knives. _'I guess she's better than I thought.' _His eyes narrowed at her twisting form as that thought crossed his mind. _'Now is not the time to praise the enemy.' _

Her hands came up to block the knives from cutting her face. She used her palms to block the attack only to have the knives slice deeply into the palms of her hands. A hiss erupted from Sakura's mouth as the clean cut was made. An idea came to her mind, she looked down at the knives and before Fugaku returned them to his side, planning to send another wave of attacks, she quickly grabbed onto them with all her might.

Gasps filled the area as Fugaku's stabbing fest stopped. Sasuke stared with wide eyes astounded by Sakura's fearless move to hold the sharp instruments with her bare hands. _'Doesn't' that hurt?' _

Mikoto turned her head away as a feeling of nausea washed over her. _'I'm sorry Sakura but I can't watch.' _She couldn't stand the sight of Sakura's blood dripping down her arms.

Itachi inwardly smirked at her stunt; it was the same one she used on him when he stubbornly denied to return her knife. Kakashi watched the scene with anxiousness and worry. His daughter was flirting with death, one that Fugaku was clearly intending on delivering.

Fugaku tried to break his precious weapons free, but her grip was too tight. "Let go." He demanded. "…unless you want to bleed to death." He finished with a smirk as he pressed harder into the blades.

Sakura flinched as the metal sliced deeper into her skin. "Fine, if you say so my King." She said with an innocent smile as she pushed him backwards, releasing the knives in the process.

Without hesitation in her step Sakura followed his propelled body and delivered a series of kicks at him. Fugaku recovered from the unexpected push and blocked her kicks. The two of them continued their hand-to-hand combat, traveling in a circle, passing each group of observers.

Kick after kick, punch after punch, and the two of them were growing tired. Sakura's chest heaved up and down as she strained to breath. Half of her extensive breathing was true tiredness while the more labored breathing was used to make sure no suspicion would arise. _'I have to take every precaution I can.'_

Fugaku tried to land another hit on Sakura, but her defense was strong. Her kick combinations were ordinary, but had some power hidden behind them. When they broke apart Fugaku's lower arms and legs were covered with bruises. Sakura's body, however, was littered with bruises, some bigger than others.

Kakashi shook his head at the scene. "It looks like Fugaku is over his tantrum." Sakura's breathing was strenuous and the desire to end the fight burned inside him. "I better end this."

Mikoto nodded her head enthusiastically, agreeing with the idea. "Finally! Someone has some sense."

Itachi narrowed his eyes at the chatting company next to him. _'This doesn't seem right…the way Sakura battled was too plain, too ordinary to fit her style. Is this how a street fight operates?' _He was truly naïve to the world outside his home.

Sasuke slumped in his spot. _'How boring! I thought there would be more action!'_

Fugaku stood up straight and flashed Sakura an evil smile. "Now I will show you the world of hurt that has been waiting for you!"

Sakura continued to breathe heavily as Fugaku grabbed her by the hair and lifted her off the ground. She bit her bottom lip, containing her shriek of pain from him. "I'm not a weed! You can't just yank me by my hair!" She yelled at him.

Fugaku cackled at her statement and shook her by her hair. Her body swung from side-to-side and he felt her shaking, this time he knew it was from the pain he was causing her. "Learn your place servant. I don't care where you came from, it's the present that matters, and no one can save you."

Sakura could see Kakashi coming towards them. _'He's probably to end this fight.' _But as Fugaku stood there, pulling her hair from her scalp, Sakura had one last move. _'I can't let Kakashi end it now! I have to show him I have some skill! I'll have to thank one of my old opponents for this move!'_

Itachi and Mikoto followed Kakashi out of the bushes and inched their way towards the rabid King. They stopped fifteen feet away giving Fugaku a warning look before they intruded on the fight and yank Sakura away from him. Sasuke saw his mother and brother and jumped down from the tree to join them.

They stood there allowing Kakashi to retrieve the shaking Sakura but his steps stopped short.

"What's wrong Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked from Sakura's still form to Mikoto. "She's…not done."

Itachi stared at the scheming Sakura before him. The position of her hands, legs, and body didn't make sense to him. _'Why would her hands be placed on the roots of her hair, her legs in a v-shape, and have her body slanted at a forty-five degree angle?'_

Sasuke looked in the same direction and raised one eye brow in the air. "What is she doing?"

Sakura could hear their comments but dismissed them entirely. _'Just watch and learn everyone.'_

Fugaku noticed her position but didn't stop shaking her around. Sakura moved her hands from her hair to his hands and with one deep breath her awkward position turned into an interesting move.

As she took her final deep breath she used her body to slam her weight down into a split position. The change in weight caught Fugaku off guard and made him bend over, not allowing his to hold on her head to slip. Her hands that covered Fugaku's were used to hit his wrists in a sensitive area. The sudden jolt of pressure made him release his tight hold on Sakura's hair. She twisted her body to the opposite side of Fugaku's direction and moved her upper body to the ground. Her face was inches off the ground while her eyes followed Fugaku's aerial path through the air and into a thorn bush ten feet away.

Kakashi's eyes went wide as the King went flying into the thorn bush. _'Where did she learn to fight like that? Where did that move come from? I've never seen in before…' _He couldn't ponder on the subject and turned his attention to the rustling bush. With a sigh he leisurely walked to Fugaku who was covered in thorns.

Mikoto stared at her personal servant with wide eyes. "Where did she learn to do that?"

Sasuke wasn't paying attention to Sakura like everyone else; he was captivated by his father. _'He…he got thrown by a girl? But how?' _He turned his attention back to Sakura, _'I have more questions for her.' _His curiosity for Sakura was growing and growing the more he broke out of his father's characterization of the servant.

Itachi's eyes never left Sakura's body. The way it twisted and turned during the battle left him speechless. A woman was never one to think about the idea of battling, let alone want to be part of it, and here she was throwing punches like it was natural to her. _'How often does she attend these street fights?' _The thought of another male laying a hand on Sakura made his blood boil in anger. _'What is wrong with me? Why am I getting emotional over a simple concept of fighting?' _That's when he noticed something. _'It's because it has to deal with Sakura.' _He shook his head inwardly and dismissed the arising subject all together. _'I'm still shocked by the battle that's all.' _He tried to convince himself.

Sakura held in her laughter, on the outside, as the King came out of the bush with thorns covering every piece of flesh it stuck into. _'HAHAHAHA!! That is priceless! Tsunade I wish you could see this!' _She looked to the sun that shined brightly in the blue sky. _'Mom…I wish you could have witnessed this.' _She smiled brightly in her head at the image. _'You would have been proud.'_

Fugaku stared at the sonic Sakura and grunted. "Don't think this is over." He weakly said as Kakashi passed him off to Mikoto.

"Fugaku Uchiha!" She yelled, startling everyone. Her petite body grabbed her husband's arm roughly as her normally tranquil voice rose an octave. "You are in deep water! I'm going to make sure each and every thorn in your body comes out in a slow manner! How dare you attack my staff! What is wrong with you?!" She scolded the King while they walked towards the castle.

"It's scary how Mother can reduce Father into nothing but a mere worm." Sasuke said, as he blinked several times, trying to regain his hearing.

Kakashi nodded his head in agreement. "I think Mikoto is the only women on the planet that can make an Uchiha reduce to nothing but mush."

"It's because she rarely gets mad. When she does…it's not a pretty sight." Sakura interjected as she giggled lightly. _'Mikoto never did like me sneaking out. When she caught me I was surprised the woman could get as loud as she did.'_

Kakashi looked over his shoulder and flashed Sakura a lazy smile. "Bingo Sakura." He turned to the quiet Itachi and cleared his throat. "We should head back to training."

Sasuke's eyed his elder brother as the two of them began to walk off to their training grounds. "Can I join?" He asked them, before they got too far off into the woods.

Itachi turned to Sasuke and shook his head. "No. This is special business."

Sasuke's face was completely emotionless, but Sakura could sense the sadness within the young boy. _'Well Itachi if you won't spend some time with him then I will.'_

Sakura walked towards the lad and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about them Sasuke, I'll do something with you. If I remember correctly I believe you had more questions to ask me?" She smiled brightly at the end.

Itachi glared at Sakura. _'What is wrong with this woman? Why does she enjoy answering his questions? It makes no sense.' _His eyes moved to Sasuke and a ping of jealousy surged through him. _'How can he get her to talk when I struggle with it?' _Itachi didn't like the idea of him losing to his baby brother in a subject that meant so much to him.

Kakashi lazily nodded his head in Sakura's direction. "Come along Itachi. If Mikoto comes looking for us tell her we went out training in the back fields."

Sakura nodded her head at her father and wrapped her arm around the tall younger Uchiha. "Let's go Sasuke."

Itachi stood still as Sasuke and Sakura walked towards the small stream that ran through his backyard. Their bodies disappeared into the distance and his legs still didn't want him to move.

"Itachi, we better get going."

"No." Itachi finally said.

Kakashi raised a silver brow in the air. "And why not?"

Itachi turned to Kakashi and looked him straight in the eye. "I don't expect you to understand my reasoning Kakashi, but I need to follow my little brother and Sakura."

Kakashi was very curious now. "Give me a try Itachi; I'm sure I can understand."

Itachi's eyes never left Kakashi's. "Mother is curious to find more information about Sakura. If we follow Sasuke, it is certain that he will ask her questions that I can relay back to Mother."

Kakashi nodded his head. "But doesn't Sasuke know about this?"

"No."

His silver hair blew in the wind while he looked from Itachi's stern eyes and towards the path Sakura had traveled a few minutes before. "Then what are we doing here?" He finished with a lazy eye crease.

'_I wonder why Mikoto wants to know information about Sakura now, to my knowledge Mikoto knew more than I did. What could she possibly not know about her?' _As Itachi and he stealthy walked to the stream that Sasuke was sitting at he couldn't help but feel curious. He wondered how Sakura's intake on life was since he wasn't there for any of her growth.

While the two eavesdroppers found their hideout on top of a tree, Sasuke and Sakura were laying down on the grass before the streaming river.

"Hey Sakura…" Sasuke began to ask as he pulled out a piece of grass and twirled it around in-between his fingers.

Sakura looked away from the beaming sun and sat up. "Yeah Sasuke?"

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" He sheepishly asked.

Sakura giggled at his question and stood on her two feet. "You don't know how to fight Sasuke?" She asked him as she skipped over to the stream and dangled her feet into the refreshing water.

Sasuke watched her vibrantly skip from place to place. "I do…but I've never seen a move like that." He said referring to her grand finale move.

Sakura tossed her head back and smiled at Sasuke while she splashed the water out of the river. "When you fight with others you learn a lot."

Sasuke scuttled over to her side. "What kind of people do you fight?" His eyes broadened. "I've never seen Kakashi or any of the other royal guards use moves like that."

Itachi sat behind the bush watching the conversation unfold before him. _'She answers his questions so freely, but why? When I try to ask questions she dismisses them…maybe Sasuke isn't asking the right questions.'_

Kakashi sat as quiet as a mouse. _'I want to listen to her adventures, problems, events…' _The reality of him never being there for his daughter came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks. _'I regret it now.'_

Sakura leaned backwards, feet still playing in the water, as she took a deep breath. "You will never see a move like that Sasuke. Your royal guards think that every battle is like a royally planned Ball…minus the dancing of course. Their battles are planned in orderly fashion, common courtesy is followed…but…" She switched to her side to get a good look at Saskue. "…if anyone was to prance on a battlefield performing unpolished, ruthless moves, the guards would be caught off guard."

'_Bringing them to their death…' _She thought to herself as her eyes cascaded downward to the ground.

Sasuke sat there in pure fascination with the woman before him. _'Normally I wouldn't ask this many questions about a person…but she sees things differently than anyone else I know, it's hard not to.'_

"Could you take me to one sometime?" He asked confidently.

Itachi glared at his little brother. _'Sasuke you will not allow Sakura to take you there! It is not a place for her.' _He told himself.

Kakashi chuckled inwardly at how eager Sasuke looked. _'Oh don't break his heart Sakura.'_

Sakura laughed at his eagerness but shook her head. "I'm sorry Sasuke but I think your Father would really kill me if I took you anywhere near Kohana."

Sasuke's eagerness didn't vanish by her words. "Then you can teach it to me." He demanded.

Kakashi and Itachi were caught off-guard by Sasuke's demand. "Would she be able to teach him?" Itachi asked himself.

"Would she want to?" Kakashi asked trying to get a different side to the situation.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders. "I can try Sasuke…but I don't know how well I'll do."

Sasuke tilted his head to one side. "What do you mean? Someone else taught it to you didn't they? Then it should be easy to re-teach it to me."

Sakura shook her head. "No, I learned it on my own." She watched as his eyes told her to tell her story. "I was watching a fight one time…you know a friendly brawl between two men and I sat there watching their moves. One man did that move and I taught myself. I don't know how…I simply watched him and I knew what to do."

Kakashi's eyes grew wide. _'She…she has my skill?!' _Pride swelled up inside his heart. _'Well look at that, I guess I underestimated my own blood.' _A heartwarming smile spread across his face.

Itachi, however, wasn't as excited. He was worried. _'If anyone found out that Sakura possessed such an ability many people would come to take her away…away from me.' _His hands crunched into fists as his desire to keep her with him grew.

"You can try…I'm sure your mother taught you a lot when you were younger." Sasuke said still pushing the subject, not noticing the hidden question he asked.

Sakura's playful mood disappeared at the mention of her mother. "Yeah…she…"

Itachi inched closer at the soon to be released information. _'She might talk about her past.' _But something inside Itachi wanted desperately to be the one Sakura told this to.

Kakashi lowered his eyes to the ground, ashamed of the life he unconsciously placed Sakura in. _'I'm sorry Sakura…I never thought that my line of work would pull Rin away from you, or me.'_

"She did teach you…right?" Sasuke asked a little confused. _'What mother doesn't teach their daughter? Mother always teaches Itachi and me.'_

Sakura slowly nodded her head. "No she did…"

"Then what is it? Your mother should be someone that you reveal your secrets to, someone that helps you through anything that makes you depressed. They are always there for you, why can't you admit that your mother helped you?" Sasuke wasn't getting Sakura's hesitation.

Sakura sadly smiled at the fifteen year old next to her. He was naïve in his questions that it made Sakura want to answer his questions. _'He isn't digging for information like Itachi, or Mikoto, or even Anko. He is simply curious.'_

"You want to know about my mother?" She asked him as a lone tear slid down her cheek. "She was an amazing woman, one that cared for others before she even thought about herself. Yes Sasuke she did help me when I asked her for it…but being separated from a mother at the age of seven doesn't give you enough time to exchange secrets."

"Why so early?" He felt sad for her, she has been through more than he ever thought possible and she didn't even tell him her whole life story. She wasn't like the normal civilians that begged on the streets asking for help; she never asked for help, she never wanted to draw attention to herself. That much he noticed while he traveled around the castle, bored and alone.

Sakura wiped the tear away and smiled. "I was supposed to be a Princess Sasuke."

Sasuke's eyes bulged out of his head. "What?!" He yelled out. "But…you're…you're a servant!"

Sakura laughed as Sasuke tried to find the answer on his own. The way his black eyes rattled back and forth and how he tried to draw pictures in the air was comical. "Calm down Sasuke." She giggled. "I'm not a Princess in disguised trust me."

Sasuke finally stopped his panic attack. "If you're a princess…then why are you still here? This place isn't all that great." He grumbled.

Sakura hid her sadness by staring straight ahead across the stream. "Because…it was either that or be an orphan."

"Why?"

Sakura looked to the curious boy and saw how innocent the question was. He didn't know how much it pained her to mention her mother's death; he didn't even know that she was a Princess. _'I guess I can tell him…there isn't any harm in doing so.'_

"Ok Sasuke I'll tell you…but you can't tell anyone. Got it?" She said with a small smile on her face, trying to banish her pain.

Sasuke curtly nodded in her direction. "I'm an Uchiha we never say other people's secrets." He stated proudly.

As Sakura opened her mouth to finally tell someone her secret Mikoto's voice interrupted the conversation.

"Sasuke! There you are." She said with relief.

Sasuke stared at his mother and nodded his head. "Yes Mother what is it?"

Mikoto looked between Sakura and Sasuke and a small smile reached the edges of her lips. "Did I interrupt something?"

Sakura shook her head. "No Mikoto nothing really special."

Sasuke didn't question how quickly Sakura dismissed their conversation. _'I guess I'll ask her another time then.' _He didn't press the matter and stood up to join his mother's side.

"What do you need Mother?"

Mikoto didn't believe Sakura's words but brushed it aside. "I need you to come with me; your Father wants to speak to you."

Sasuke bowed to his mother in answer and made a slight nod in Sakura's direction. She watched as Mikoto dragged the stiff younger Uchiha back to the Castle. _'It's amazing how much of a personality change Sasuke does to fit the description of a Prince. That's one of the reasons why I'm glad Mom chose love over position.' _She thought happily as she rose to her feet.

Kakashi turned to the stiff Itachi and rested his hand on the man's shoulder. "We better get back to training Itachi."

Itachi didn't move from his spot automatically, he was too stunned to move. _'She was about…! I don't understand it! Why does Sasuke get to know something that I'm neglected to even mention?! She didn't close him off, she didn't change subjects, why him?!'_

"Yes." Itachi said emotionlessly, _'A training session sounds good right about now.'_

Sakura stayed outside until the sun began to set behind the horizon. _'I'm surprised that Mikoto hasn't tried to find me all day…she probably feels horrible for Fugaku's attack.' _Sakura laughed out loud at the memory. _'How awesome would it be to kick his royal ass for real? With no strings attached, no holding back…it would be a sensation of a fight.' _

Sakura rolled over on her back as she watched the stars come into focus. _'The night is so pretty…one of the reasons why I love it. It's a tranquil place, and all the excitement happens then!' _Just then Sakura bolted into a sitting position. _'Oh no! Tonight's the night! That's the main reason why Mikoto hasn't been out here!'_

Sakura jumped to her feet and sprinted towards the east side of the castle walls. _'I forgot about that! How could I be so stupid?!' _She scolded herself as she reached into a random tree hole and pulled out her trusty cloak. She flung it over her typical linen dress and yanked the familiar hood over her head.

She reached into her cloak to pull out her weapon of choice. _'I haven't used you in a while my friend.' _She flipped the medium sized sword around and around, watching its metal glisten against the moon's light. _'We'll have some business to attend to.' _

Her body tensed as snapping of branches filled her ears. _'They're coming.' _She hid her weapon back into its holster and stood there, waiting for the reconnaissance bandits to enter her line of sight.

"How far is this fucking castle?" She heard a voice shout impatiently.

"Keep your mouth shut Juri! They might hear us!"

Sakura shifted her weight to the side as she saw six figures emerge from the forest. _'Oh you have no idea…' _She thought with a smirk plastered on her face.

"See no one is…" Their leader, Sakura assumed, cut his sentence short.

"Who is this?" Asked the one on his right.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at all six men. Their slouched posture and brown linen pants and shirts indicated their lack of experience in the battlefield. _'They don't seem too bad. The leader holds the most muscles while the two on the ends seem to be positioned incase of an attack, so they can warn the others. The others are regular bandits, ruthless…just the way I like them.'_

"I don't know, but stand down men, I'm sure this little boy won't bother us, look at his build."

The other guys laughed at the insult and relaxed. Sakura wanted to laugh at their foolish move. _'I'll show you a threat.'_

"Excuse me little boy but my team and I must get through." The leader said as he walked towards Sakura, getting ready to push her out of the way.

Sakura stood her ground and bragged his hand before it came in contact with her shoulder. "I don't think so." She said in her regular voice.

The men froze. The man known as Juri was the first one to speak. "That's a chick! That ain't a lad!"

Sakura allowed a sweet giggle to escape her lips. "Oh you are a smart man." She said as she reached up to pull down her hood.

The six men ogled when Sakura revealed her face. "Damn! A sexy woman at that!" Shouted one of men in the back.

The leader smiled deviously at Sakura and scooted his body closer to Sakura. "Hey there sexy. Why don't you travel with us? We'll show you a good time."

Sakura smiled sweetly at the man and pulled him into her. Her emerald eyes held his attention while she hooked one leg around his waist. "I'm sure you could show me a good time." She smiled sensationally.

"Oww, oww! She's a spit fire! Let's keep her boss!" Another right hand man cheered from the crowd.

The Leader trailed his hand down Sakura's back and squeezed her but cheek. "What do you say doll?" He smiled, revealing his rotten teeth.

Sakura ran her free hand up his chest while her other hand trailed down his leg to her hip. "Sure. Why not? You seem pretty fun." She said while she fanned her eye lashes in a sexual manner.

The Leader pulled Sakura closer while his brown eyes winked at her. "Then join us."

Sakura tightened her hold on the leader's collar and kept him planted in his place. "I'm not finished yet." She pressed her hips forward to prove her point.

A groan rumbled deep in the man's chest from her action. "I'm sorry baby but we have to work. Save it for later." He whispered to her.

Sakura tightened her hold on her hip, secretly pulling out the sword from her holster. "But I want you now." She moaned as she slid her pelvis against his slowly.

"Come on Boss! Just give her a little! The others won't mind waiting a few minutes." His coworkers reassured him.

"I guess I can give you a sneak preview babe." He said with a smug smirk.

Sakura smirked at the man pulled her even closer to his body. _'I hope you enjoy this bastard!'_

Before the any of the men knew it, Sakura pulled out her sword and slammed it deep into the middle of the Leader's chest.

"W-what t-the…?!" He yelled out as he tried to grab the protruding sword in his chest.

Sakura twisted the sword around and pushed it further through his chest. Blood squirted out of the gash and sprayed across the grass, Sakura, and the leader. She didn't let up her attack; she used her weight and made sure to rip through the leader's torso. The sword poked out of his back and blood flooded his mouth.

"Y-Y…" He didn't get to finish his insult because Sakura yanked the sword out of his gaping hole.

His blood poured out of his body while he fell to the ground. His colleagues watched the merciless display with wide eyes. Their leader's body soaked the green grass with his rich red blood. When they looked towards the woman they couldn't find her.

"Where did she go?!" One yelled.

"Shut your mouth Turi! We need to get out of here!"

"You think anyone will believe us Jix?"

Juri shook his head. "Who would believe a woman with pink hair killed our leader?!"

"Ju…" Before one of their members could respond, Sakura placed the cold blade against the back of his neck.

'_Nighty, night.' _Sakura said with a chuckle as she jammed the sword through his jugular.

His buddies looked to see their friend's head drop to the floor, then his body. His blood joined with their leader's blood to make a giant puddle.

"Shit! Let's get the fuck…!" Jix didn't finish his sentence because Sakura's sword sliced through his thigh. "Ahh!" He shrieked in pain.

The four remaining bandits watched as Sakura leaned over Jix's injured body.

"Next time you dumb asses decide to feel up a woman don't be such a pig about it." She hissed into his ear as she brought her sword up and plowed it straight down through his chest.

She twisted her sword around in a familiar fashion and sliced through his torso. The feeling of every nerve, vertebrae, and muscle Sakura cut through made a smile spill across her face.

"Run for your lives!" Turi shouted in panic.

Sakura watched as the four remaining men tried to run away from her. She watched as Juri ran to the east, Turi to the west, and the two others ran towards her.

"You really are stupid aren't you?" She said with a grunt as she extended her blade and slashed them both across the necks. She waved as their shocked faces relaxed and their heads flew towards her. She took a step back as they fell to the ground and began rolling around.

"Now for the other two." She took a deep sigh as she went to go find Turi.

She didn't have to run very far to find the shaking Turi. He attached himself to a tree trunk hugging it for dear life.

"Don't let her find me, don't let her find me, don't let her find me." He repeated over and over to himself hoping to settle his shaking.

Sakura quietly walked towards the shaking man and raised her sword into the air. _'Sorry man.' _She said as she sent her sword down and stuck it straight through his back.

"Ah-h…!" His bloody scream spread through the entire forest. He used the last of his strength to look down only to see her legendary sword sticking out at him.

Sakura watched his body slump against her sword and with a flick of her wrist she yanked the blade out of his body. A popping sound was heard as his body fell to the ground and the blood splattered all around.

"Now for the final dipshit." She said with relief as she sprinted off towards the west corner.

Juri ran through the woods looking back every second. _'She won't ever find me.' _He thought as he hid behind a tree trunk. _'That chick is merciless! I thought our killers were brutal…but this woman…she smiled when she killed them!' _His eyes looked back and forth when he heard the leaves rustling. _'She's possessed! There is no way a woman that sexy can be that blood thirsty! I have to warn the others!'_

Sakura stood on the tree above her target. _'Found you.' _She said with a smile.

Juri cautiously moved away from the tree trunk and slowly walked in the opposite direction of his escape route. Sakura jumped into the air and landed in front of the man.

"Where do you think you're going Juri?" She said sweetly as she stepped closer to him.

Juri stopped in his tracks eyeing Sakura with scared eyes. "W-What do you want with us?! We didn't do anything to you!"

Sakura's eyes hardened at his words. "Oh really?" She said as she placed her bloody blade against his throat. His body went rigid and Sakura used his fear as a way to back him against a tree. "You did do something to me." She growled out.

Juri shook his head from side-to-side. "No! I swear! If you have anyone to blame the head of our killers!"

Sakura giggled at his frantic state and pushed the sword deeper to his throat. A small incision was made on his throat and the blood trickled down Sakura's blade, down her arm, and to the ground. "How does your main leader work for?" She asked him.

Juri watched his blood drip down to the floor. "I-I can't t-tell you t-that." He stuttered.

Sakura removed her sword from his body. "Bullshit." She said as she used the end of her sword and plunged it into the center of his abdomens.

"Gahh!" He shouted in pain as his body dropped to the floor.

Sakura bent down to his height and pulled on his shirt, lifting his upper body to face her. "You better answer my question…otherwise…"

Juri watched her sword move to in-between his legs. A large gulp emitted from his throat. "Y-you wouldn't t-take a man's p-precious i-item away f-from him w-would you?" He stumbled over his words.

Sakura moved the blade closer to his member and twirled it on the tip of the blade. "Not if you tell me what I want to know."

"Ok fine!" He shouted when he felt the blade get a little too close to his liking. "We are working for Orochimaru!"

Sakura smirked at his confession. "See? I told you, you did do something to me."

Juri stared at the crazy woman in front of him. "Huh?! No! Honest! We are just following orders!"

Sakura dropped to her knees and came close to Juri. "I'm going to tell you a secret Juri…the man that you are following orders from is leading you to death. You want to know what he did to make me hate him so?" She whispered in Juri's ear.

Juri nodded his head obediently, afraid that she'd castrate him if he refused her anything.

"It's very simple." Sakura said as she removed her sword from his penis. "He murdered my mother." She stated coldly.

Juri began squirming around in his seated position. _'This bitch is going to kill me! What kind of enemies does that fucking snake man have?!'_

Sakura watched the man struggle in his spot. _'I guess that's enough torture.' _She thought.

"That's for your information bandit." She stated coldly while she effortlessly moved her sword across his throat.

Not a sound was heard from Juri as his head was separated from his body. Sakura stared at the dead body as it slumped down to the ground. _'Take that Orochimaru.' _She thought as she watched Juri's head roll around on the grass.

She bent down towards the head and picked it up with her hands. Sakura studied the jade eyes that looked back at her. "I'm sorry for killing you Juri, but the man you work for is someone that I need to cut down to size." Sakura informed the dead head.

She could feel the ground shake underneath her. _'Oh no! More are coming!' _Sakura took the head in her hands and chucked it deeper into the woods. _'I better get back to the east wing. Who knows how many bandits will be coming. They must have gotten worried when their reconnaissance didn't return.'_

Sakura ran back to her post, put her hood over her head, and jumped down into the clearing. She looked in the direction of where the ground was shaking to see Kakashi and Itachi on horses, behind them were a few more Knights ready for battle. Their Knight armor shinned in the moon's light, the silver metal making each fighter a fearful adversary.

Kakashi looked down at the bloody sight before him. The grass was covered in a sea of blood, decapitated bodies were lying down on the ground, and in the center of all that destruction was a bloody spy.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked as he dismounted off his mare.

Sakura flicked her sword and proceeded to wipe the blood off the blade against her cloak. "A group of bandits came to check out the premises. I took them out before you showed up."

Itachi looked around at the sight and kept his guard up. "How many?" He asked. _'This spy is more dangerous than I give him credit for.' _And it was that thought that put the Prince on edge.

Sakura shrugged her shoulder and kicked the bodies out of the way. "Six. No big deal they fell like flies."

"Seems like it." Said one of Kakashi's fighters.

Kakashi watched Sakura absentmindedly kick the bodies out of their way. "Since you're here you can help us defeat the incoming bandits."

The only answer Sakura gave Kakashi was a curt nod. Itachi and the rest of their force assembled into position waiting for their enemy to come.

"They choose a good place to attack the castle." Commented on of the Knights hiding near Sakura.

"It's because the castle isn't heavily guarded on this side and the way the hill slops it provides them with some form of surprise since your guards can't see over the hill from their posts in the castle." Sakura stated.

Kakashi, Itachi, and the Knight stared at the well informed spy. "You know our castle well." He said.

"Just like how you know the enemy that is coming. You study your battlefield before you run onto it. It is what keeps you alive." Sakura finished.

"There is not time to chat. They're coming." Kakashi said as he held his hand to silence his crew.

A swarm of fifteen bandits came charging up the hill. The one in the center of the attack cried out in rage as he thrusted the sword in the air to encourage his minions.

"Get ready." Kakashi whispered. "We will wait until they reach the top of the hill, when that happens we will charge out and everyone takes an opponent. Help each other, we are a team, if you leave a team member behind you are no equal than the scum we will be killing."

Sakura felt admiration towards her father. _'His speech…it speaks of such experience and authority.' _She looked around to see every Knight nod in respect. _'He is well respected.' _She smiled underneath her hood. _'It will be an honor to fight along his side. This way I can keep him safe for once.'_

The bandits ran over the hill and the battle began. Their village's flag flew high above them; their steps demonstrated how much pride they held for their land. Their leather battle armor couldn't hold a candle to the well protected casing the Knight's had. Every member fanned out and took on their opponent. Metal clashed against metal as manly groans filled the battlefield. Sakura sliced her way from enemy to enemy, her blade beautifully moved between human flesh with ease. She looked around her to see the Knights working hard to defend their homeland. _'Talk about undying loyalty.' _She commented as she drove her sword straight through another bandit's throat.

Sakura joined a few other Knights' until she saw a bandit running towards her father. _'Kakashi!' _Without thinking she tossed her sword across the area.

Kakashi sent his beloved sword through another bandit. _'Another one down.' _He thought in success as his body fell backwards to the ground. A sigh escaped his lips as he backed away from the fallen body. He heard foot steps behind him. _'Crap!' _He turned around in alarm.

Itachi threw his enemy down on the ground and mercilessly rammed one of his swords into the enemies head. His sword penetrated his right eye and before the bandit could register what happened his heart stopped by another thrust of a sword. _'Good reddens.' _He turned his back on the deceased man to see a bandit heading to Kakashi's turned back.

"Kakashi!" Every Knight heard their heads as their commanding officers' name was screamed across the field by the Prince.

When Kakashi turned around to defend himself the bandit fell forward. "Ahh!" He shouted in pain as he grabbed his leg hoping to squeeze out the pain.

Kakashi looked down at the last remaining bandit to see a medium sized sword sticking out of his calf. _'Where did that come from?' _He looked to his men and Itachi to see their swords still in their hands.

Sakura watched as his alert grey eyes traveled to her. _'See? I told you I'd keep you safe Kakashi.' _She smiled at him when his eyes stared at her in wonder.

"You said we were a team, whether we liked each other or not." Sakura said to the stunned Kakashi as she mindlessly ripped her sword out of the bandit's calf.

"Ouchh!!" He hollered in pain.

Itachi walked to the bandit and picked him up by the collar. "Shut your mouth." He demanded. "I'm taking him to the dungeon."

Kakashi watched as Itachi walked away with their last surviving attacker. He turned his attention to his loyal men and nodded in their direction.

"Any casualties?"

His right hand Knight nodded his head. "A few of us have good cuts, but nothing time and Shizune's medicine can't fix."

Kakashi smiled at the spirit in his men. "Good, you all better go and get patched up. When you're done go down to the dungeon room. We will be interrogating the man."

The loyal knights nodded their heads and carried each other to Shizune's office. Kakashi turned to Sakura and nodded his head.

"How did you know it was going to make it?" Kakashi asked in a lazy manner.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders and sheathed her sword. "To be honest with you, I didn't." She said, keeping her deep tone. "I figured it's better to try than to let him nail you in the back with his sword."

Kakashi nodded his head. "I see…thanks for helping me out." He turned his body towards the castle. "Can you go retrieve Iruka for me? I'm going to assume that you know where he is."

Sakura nodded her head and sprinted off towards Iruka's home. _'Why does Kakashi want Iruka?_

Iruka was outside watering his window plants when he saw a pink head in the distance. _'What a pleasant surprise! Sakura has come early to visit…'_

His smile was whipped clean from his face when he saw Sakura soaked to the bone in blood.

"Sakura! What happened?!"

Sakura removed her hood and waved her hands out in front of her. "Don't worry Iruka! I'm fine! I just finished exterminating the bandit's with Kakashi."

Iruka sighed deeply as he tossed his watering bucket aside. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Kakashi wanted me to come get you." She stated bluntly, eyeing her father-like figure suspiciously. "Why?"

Iruka blushed at the attention and lead the way to the castle. Sakura followed the man a she put her hood back on her head. "Why does he want you Iruka?"

"You never did figure out how I was tied in with Tsunade did you Sakura?" He said with a smile on his face.

Sakura shook her head. "No…but how does that have to…"

Iruka pulled the castle doors open and lead himself towards the dungeon. "I am an interrogator Sakura. Tsunade has me rattle any suspicious information. Kakashi has me make any of his captives tell Fugaku about our opponents."

Sakura made an "o" face as they descended down the cold stone stairs. _'That's where the scar across his nose came from.'_

Iruka would have ruffled Sakura's hair but opted for patting her shoulder. "Looks like you'll see me in action today." He said as he opened the door and entered the familiar room.

Sakura looked around to small room. Kakashi, Itachi, Mikoto, Sasuke, Jiraiya, and Tsunade were present waiting for Iruka. The room was very basic with cobble stone walls, a ratty couch, and iron bars with glass in front of it. Fugaku walked towards Iruka and shook his hand.

"I'm glad you accepted my invitation."

Iruka squeezed the King's hand and bowed. "It was my pleasure Fugaku."

"We have a surviving bandit from the fight." Itachi informed him.

"Mind working you magic on him?" Kakashi asked with a friendly nudge in the shoulder.

Sakura moved away from the two men and backed herself into a corner, where Tsunade and Jiraiya were located.

"Why didn't you tell me Iruka was an interrogator?" Sakura whispered.

Tsunade smirked at her question. "Would that have ever crossed your mind?"

Sakura shook her head. "No…not really. I just thought he was a family friend."

Jiraiya laughed. "Oh no, this man is the scariest person to be questioned by."

Sakura tilted her hooded head to the side. "How so?"

Tsunade placed her hand on the back of Sakura's head. "Just watch and learn."

Mikoto and Sasuke sat on the couch as everyone else stood in silence as the bandit was brought into the room. Sasuke watched as Sakura leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed and body slouched.

"Who's that?" He asked his mother in a whisper.

Mikoto looked towards the bloody covered Sakura. "That's the spy we've told you about."

Sasuke glared at the man. "He doesn't seem that impressive."

Itachi turned to his brother. "Don't underestimate him Sasuke."

Sasuke raised an eye brow in the air. "But he looks scrawnier than a weed."

Sakura overhead Sasuke's comment and smirked. _'Oh I think I need to scare him a little.' _She walked away from Tsunade and Jiraiya and came up behind him.

"I maybe scrawny but I know where you sleep, when you sleep, what time you go to lunch, what your favorite hobby is…I know everything." Sakura said out loud.

Sasuke turned around and held the famous Uchiha stare, even though deep down he was shaking in his boots. "Hn." He answered.

Itachi smirked at his little brother's stupidity. _'You deserve to be scared Sasuke.' _Itachi felt satisfied that his brother was put in his place by the sketchy spy.

The room grew quiet as Iruka entered through another door on the other side of the room.

"Who the fuck are you?" The bandit said as he eyed the pacing Iruka.

Sakura watched the scene closely. Iruka paced around the room in an urgent manner. _'He's trying to make the bandit think that he's nervous…to drop his guard. That's impressive.'_

"Me?" Iruka said as he dropped his scrolls on the floor. "I-I am interrogator."

The bandit laughed. "You? You're just a blubbering fool who can't walk straight."

Iruka picked up his scrolls and placed them on the rock solid table. "N-No I am not!"

The bandit got out of his seat and came face-to-face with Iruka's shaking form. "Yes you are. Look at you; you can't even stand being in the same room as me. This is the best the Uchiha Clan has? No wonder Orochimaru wanted us to trash this place."

Sakura smirked at the stupid bandit. _'So much for loyal servants. Way to go Iruka, you got him to answer a question and you didn't even start yet. He's good.' _Sakura thought with pride.

Kakashi lazily leaned against the stone wall as he watched his friend at work. _'It's been a while since I've seen you in action Iruka.'_

Iruka continued shaking as he opened and closed his mouth. "W-Who is O-Orochimaru?"

The bandit pressed himself closer to Iruka, now cornering him against the wall. "What's wrong little boy? Scared?" He chucked as Iruka shook violently. "Orochimaru is the snake bastard dumb ass." He finished.

"T-Then why a-are you h-here doing h-his dirty w-w-work? H-Having all y-your men k-killed just f-for him?" Iruka stammered out.

The bandit glared at Iruka. "Shut up. I'm not telling you anything. You know nothing."

Sakura flinched when she saw Iruka being pushed against the wall. _'Come on Iruka show him your bad side.' _

Iruka smirked at the bandit and placed his hands on his broad shoulders. "I know a lot of things but let's start with answering the questions I ask." He said without hesitation as he tripped the bandit backwards.

His body came crashing down on the stone floor; Iruka grabbed his arm, and slammed him against the table. "Now spill. I tried being nice." He growled in the pinned man's ear.

The bandit shook with fear. "Hey man I was just horsing around you know?"

'_Jeez this man is seriously fucked up.'_

Iruka pressed him harder onto the table. "Now!" He shouted. "I have no patience for you. Why did Orochimaru come to you for assistance?"

The bandit stayed quiet. "Sorry man I can't tell you that. The snake would kill me."

Sakura shook her head as the Iruka grabbed the back of the bandit's collar and slammed him; face first, into the stoned wall. _'I'd answer his question.' _

His nose was broken, a deep gash was above his eye brow, and his broken arm was being twisted by Iruka. "If you don't spill your guts to me now I will have one of my friends come in here and kill you." Iruka said as he stared right at Sakura.

Everyone in the room watched the bandit's eyes grow wide and his body shook in fear as he stared at Sakura. "N-No! Not h-h-him! O-ok! I'll t-t-tell you e-everything!"

Sakura felt pride that the scum was more scared of her than Orochimaru. _'Serves him right. I'd be very glad to kill him.'_

Iruka smiled sweetly and released his bone crushing hold. "Ok, then tell me please." Iruka said as he reverted back to his normal attitude.

"Ok! The bastard came to my camp and said he'd pay my clan a large ass amount of money if we killed a few power heads in the Uchiha castle. At first I refused but hey I got mouths to feed and when some rich ass comes and plops a sum larger than what I can steal in a year I gladly took the job. He told us how to get in and left." His petrified eyes returned to Sakura's form. "He never said that the Uchiha's would have some fucking slaughterer on their side! That crazy jack-ass decapitated my six reconnaissance members with no mercy! I saw their bodies littered around the area! I didn't sign up for this shit! Orochimaru can kill you guys some other way."

Iruka nodded his head at the confession. "Thank you for the cooperation. I'll have my friends release you. If Orochimaru ever contacts you again feel free to tell him you got massacred by the army." And without another exchange of words Iruka closed the door behind him and returned back to the room on the other side of the glass.

Kakashi approached Iruka with a friendly nod. "Nicely done Iruka, you haven't lost your touch."

"Thank you Kakashi. I see you haven't either."

Fugaku shook hands with Iruka and lead his family back to the upper floor. Kakashi politely dismissed himself leaving the three spies and interrogator all alone.

"That was awesome Iruka!" Sakura shouted in enthusiasm.

Iruka smiled brightly. "I'm glad you enjoyed my show Sakura, I was afraid to show you what I did because then you would stop talking to me."

Tsunade shorted. "You think Sakura could ever stop talking to you?"

"That's impossible." Jiraiya said with a proud smile.

"That bandit was rather afraid of you Sakura." Iruka commented. "What did you do?"

Sakura giggled and scratched the back of her hood. "I didn't really do much Iruka I saw the first six members and killed them, then he was running towards an unsuspecting Kakashi and I lodged my sword into his lower calf."

"That's my girl!" Jiraiya shouted as he pulled Sakura into a hug, not minding the blood that rubbed off on him.

Tsunade smacked her head against her palm. "Sakura I need to be more careful next time if Orochimaru ever finds out about you we are in deep trouble."

Iruka nodded his head in agreement. Sakura sighed but smiled. "I know guys, I know." She looked back at the steps leading upstairs and heard footsteps coming towards her room. "I have to run! Nice job again Iruka!"

The three of them watched Sakura run up a secret trap door towards her room. Jiraiya turned to his friends and smirked. "Now I have a mission of my own to do." With an evil laugh he silently ran up the steps.

Iruka and Tsunade exchanged concerned look but shook their heads. It was Jiraiya, anything he was up to involved naked women or porn, either one they wanted to stay as far away from as possible.

Sakura hastily stripped her cloak from her body and shoved it into her straw bed. She heard a knock at her door and when she turned around she saw Sasuke standing at her door.

"What's wrong Sasuke?" Sakura asked as she banished her hasty breathing and forced herself to breath regularly.

"Can I ask you something?"

Sakura walked out of her room and followed the young prince down random hallways. "Sure what's wrong?"

Sasuke flashed the famous Uchiha smirk her way and stopped walking. "I met this spy today…and he reminded me of something."

Sakura didn't like the direction this conversation was going but she kept her suspicions at bay. "What did it remind you of?"

"You never did tell me if you could train me or not."

Sakura didn't say anything at first. She thought he was going to ask her about the spy, about what she said, about the battle, or worse…about her mother. _'But no, Sasuke is still as naïve as ever.'_

"Hahahaha!" Sakura giggled out loud as she tried to hold her stomach from laughing so hard.

A few hallways away Itachi heard Sakura's laugh. _'What is she laughing at?' _He followed her laughter as it echoed off the walls, filling his ears with a sweet angelic like sound.

When he turned the corner he saw his younger brother and Sakura. _'I can't get rid of him.' _Itachi continued his walking towards the chatting people.

"What's so funny Sakura?! I'm asking you a serious question."

Sakura nodded her head and wiped a tear from her eyes. "Yes, I know…it's just I thought you were going to ask something more serious than that."

"That is a serious matter." Sasuke shook his head at Sakura's silly thoughts. _'How can that not be serious?!'_

Before Sakura could answer, however, Itachi took this golden opportunity to steal Sakura away from his little brother.

"Sasuke what are you doing?"

Sakura and Sasuke turned to the eldest Prince as he made his presence known.

"I'm talking with Sakura, is that a problem?" Sasuke asked with a glare.

Itachi didn't unveil any emotion as he continued with his plan. "No." He turned his attention to Sakura and waved her on. "I need to talk to you."

Sakura tilted her head to the side and then looked at Sasuke. "Umm…we'll continue this conversation later ok Sasuke?"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at his brother. _'What are you planning Itachi?'_

"Sure." Sakura watched as the angered young prince stormed off into the opposite direction. She gave Itachi her full attention and crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you want Itachi?"

Itachi reached for her wrist and walked out of the castle, with her in tow. Jiraiya, who was running through the castle, saw the two of them escape into the night.

'_There you two are!' _He followed them out of the castle and into the forest. _'I've been dieing to see deeper into this very curious matter at hand.' _He stared at the Prince as he towed his Sakura away. _'If my suspicions are correct you better be doing what I think you're going to do Itachi. Sakura is a very complex yet simple person.' _He picked up his pace as he jumped from tree to tree. _'Oh well looks like I'll have to find out for myself!'_

* * *

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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_**Author's Note:**_** I can't believe how easily that came from my fingers to the keyboard! I broke my record from 29 pages to 33! My wrists are killing me haha. I'm sorry for the cliff hanger but I needed to have an insurance that you would all come back to read the next chapter!**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please, please review! REMEMBER! IF YOU'RE AN ANONOMUS REVIEWER!! If you would like leave your email so I can thank you :)**

**I'll be back before you know it! Tootles! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Author's Note**_: I'm sorry that you all had to wait, but it would be impossible for me to retype the whole chapter on the library's computers because they like to limit our access time on the computers. I'm sorry for making you wait! Enjoy!!!

_**Dedicated to: **_xXbunnyholicXx, sodapopgirly83, The Reveiwer known as Name, Gobi5no5Houkou, stargazing-sweetie, LadyPassionofHate, nightwish635, IceBishop, snorkabuziaczek, jjdjd, Inner-me-is-chaos, XSweetXSourXSoulX, DarkMangaIza, shadow miko, Kaida Rita, minniemousemom, sleeping itasaku fangirl, Takakuma, just-let-me-go, Shade of the Ace, Bloody X Blossom X Butterfly, Blackrose74, nickeledwards, Abmonkey8, MidKnight Karina, midnightblue123, and White Sakura of Hope

* * *

Itachi dragged Sakura through the forest hurriedly. His eyes scanned the darkened area for any followers. _'I can not afford to have any other eavesdroppers.'_

Sakura allowed the angered Prince to lead her through the obscure forest. _'What is his issue?' _She didn't understand why the man was frustrated; she didn't do anything…well…anything that she knew of.

Jiraiya stealthy followed the fast moving duo until Itachi reached a secluded area surrounded by willow trees. _'Oh how cute, he's taking her to a secretive place!' _His imagination ran wild with endless possibilities of what this could lead to. _'It all leads to two things: new ideas for my amazing novel, and, a sneak peek into this little secret love!'_

The trees' branches were thrown back violently and Sakura found herself being pulled towards the center of the all too familiar tranquil scenery. When Itachi released her arm from his grasp she took her finally free arms and crossed them across her chest.

"What crawled up your ass Itachi?" She snarled out.

Itachi's unwavering black eyes solemnly focused on Sakura, he didn't look anywhere else. "Why do you tell him everything?" He coldly asked.

One pink brow rose. "Are…are you jealous of your little brother?"

His reaction, emotions, body, everything, didn't falter. "Answer the question Sakura."

"No. You answer mine first Prince Uchiha!" Sakura's sarcasm oozed from her mouth as she placed her hands on her hips and glared at the stubborn man before her.

The atmosphere grew apprehensive as the two stood alone in the abandoned scenery. No words were exchanged as a staring contest began. Jiraiya stood on top of a tree branch watching the, quite boring, scene come to a standstill. _'Come on Itachi! Lay one on her!'_

For the first time in his life, Itachi found the silence unbearable. Normally she would resurrect an old topic, start another fight, something! Now she stood there, annoyed, saying nothing, he never knew he would hate to have the woman quiet.

Unconsciously his body shook from the unreleased feelings he was harboring deep inside. Itachi wasn't sure how much longer he could take the silent treatment Sakura was giving him. In two steps he appeared in front of Sakura.

"Why do you do this to me?" He asked her quietly.

'_Why is he jealous of Sasuke? It's his little brother for God's sakes.' _His advancement towards her brought Sakura out of her thoughts.

"Exactly what do I do to you Itachi?" She stared at him with suspicion; she couldn't see where he was going with the question.

He stepped closer to her, closing the distance between them. Sakura took a step back in order to make the distance between them increase. The game of cat and mouse ended when Sakura's back abruptly met a tree trunk.

"I try to get information out of you; you give me dead end answers. Those answers make me over think them; you make yourself more of a mystery than when I first ran into you that day in the hallway. I see you effortlessly tell my little brother anything. Why?! What does he have that I don't?!"

Sakura stood up straight against the tree with stunned eyes. The Prince, the Ice Price, Itachi, was explaining his feelings to her. _'I have never seen him this…open before.'_

"You know why I can easily talk to him Itachi?" She gingerly placed her hand on his shaking shoulder.

His eyes never left hers as he hoped she would try and ease his confused mind. "Tell me Sakura." He ordered while he pulled her closer to him by the back of her head.

Sakura was aware of the inch of space between them but didn't duck away from his touches. The desperation in his eyes made something inside her twinge with an emotion unfamiliar to her.

"He asks questions out of his pure innocence. You, your mother, and even others in the castle try to find the answer to something, which makes you then ask more questions. I don't share things about myself because I don't want to relive it Itachi, Sasuke simply asked the question. He didn't pressure me to answer it; he wouldn't relay it back to his **mother** or anyone else. He keeps under lock and key. It's wholesome curiosity."

Sorrow and anger flashed in her emerald eyes and Itachi felt regret flow through him. _'What is this that I am feeling?' _He tightened his hold on the back of her neck as the realization that she doesn't trust him punched a hole through him. Hoping to break the depressing atmosphere that Sakura sent him into, he ruthlessly planted his lips on top of hers.

Sakura squealed in surprise from the suddenness of the kiss. The hand on her head trailed down to her waist while his other hand took the vacant space that was left on the back of her head. She automatically leaned into the calming embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Her acceptance into his kiss made Itachi feel positively relieved. The hand that resided on the back of her head moved down to her neck in order to deepen the kiss. He used his other hand and wrapped the arm around her waist to lift her whole body tightly against him.

She couldn't figure out the feelings that she was feeling while he simply kissed her deeper and deeper. She lifted her legs and twisted them around his narrow waist. _'Why does this feel right? This simple embrace…this simple kiss…it's…it's different than the others.'_

Itachi brought them to the grass as he shifted Sakura's body to sit on his lap, not once did he break their lip lock. Once she was sitting steadily on his lap he broke their kiss but not their space.

"Sakura…" Sakura tilted her head to the side as she watched him debate with himself on what to say to her. The arm around her waist held a sense of urgency while he subconsciously tightened his hold around her. It was confusing, yet scary, that she knew exactly what he was trying to say.

She giggled lightly and placed a gentle hand on his face. "I understand Itachi." She reassured him with a small smile.

Jiraiya giggled in his head while he watched the two young people from across the greenery. _'I KNEW IT! HE DOES HAVE A THING FOR OUR SAKURA!' _At first he thought it was simply curiosity that attracted Itachi to Sakura, but now it seemed that the two were in deeper than they both led on.

"Since you're a man of questions Itachi, I have one for you." She expected to feel his body stiffen at her offer, but to her surprise, he remained relaxed as he traced small circles on her back.

"I think I can allow that." He said with his famous Uchiha smirk.

She removed her small hand from his masculine face and combed her fingers through his bangs. "Why do you have long hair? Normally men of your stature have short hair." Her delicate fingers grabbed his elastic and tenderly pulled it down his low set pony tail.

Itachi allowed his hair to fan out around his face. It flowed down elegantly and stopped at his collar bone. He felt at peace as Sakura played with his black hair. "It makes me stand out." He answered as he watched her twirl a piece of his hair in-between her fingers.

"But wouldn't your father get his panties in a twist if you "tarnish the family's reputation"?" Sakura said in a manly tone, trying to mimic Fugaku's voice.

A low chuckle erupted deep within Itachi's chest, shaking Sakura in place. "Think about that question Sakura. You, of all people, should know the answer to that."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and released his hair from her hold. "Touché Uchiha, touché."

Moments went by as Itachi soaked in the peaceful moment. _'It's been a long time since I've felt this calm…this serene.' _Something about the woman sitting comfortably in his arms brought out a mix of emotions from deep within him. _'Years of training, locking up my emotions, all unraveled thanks to this woman. Why can you bring out a different side in me that no one else is capable of?' _He was at a lost of words, and he didn't mind it.

"We better get back. The sun will rise early enough, we both need sleep." Itachi reluctantly said.

Sakura nodded her head in agreement but didn't move from her seated position. She expected him to push her off his lap, but he didn't. Out of nowhere Sakura felt his arms encircle around her waist and before she knew it he tossed her over his shoulder.

"Put me down Itachi! I'm not a sack of potatoes!"

"You weigh as much as them."

Sakura's mouth dropped to the floor. _'Is Itachi trying to make jokes?' _That thought within itself surprised Sakura.

"I'll take your quietness as an agreement then." He added in with a chuckle.

Sakura glared down at the cocky man and lightly punched Itachi in the back. "You wish you could eat me. Now put me down!"

Her comment made Itachi stop; he flipped Sakura over his shoulder and grabbed her by the chin, pulling her closer to him. "I could make that happen, Miss. Haruno." He said as their lips moved towards each other.

Sakura leaned towards him, grabbing his hair, and bringing his face closer to her own. "I'd like to see you try Uchiha, I don't know if you could handle my taste."

His eyes flashed a lustful red as her comment sent various images through his vivid imagination. His whole body grew hot with desire for the teasing woman before him. "Watch me Sakura." His seductive tone fanned across Sakura's face.

Right when Itachi was about to go in for the assault on her lips they heard a rustling of leaves from behind. Sakura abruptly turned around to see the source of the movement, but Itachi stood in front of her.

"Itachi I can't see." She growled out as she stood on her toes trying to see over his shoulder.

Itachi didn't move from his position. "Go back to the castle Sakura." His guard was on high alert; he used his senses to look for any sign of an intruder. He didn't feel the woman leave his side which made him turn around and grab her shoulders. "Go before someone suspects something, I'll be behind you."

Sakura placed one hand on her hip as she gave Itachi a face. "You think I'd leave you to all the action? No way buddy."

Itachi shook his head at the stubborn woman. "Where do you come from?" He side-glanced in the direction of the rustling leaves and shoved Sakura forward, "Sakura for once in your stubborn life, listen to me."

Sakura searched deep in his eyes, watching a new emotion burn freely in his black eyes. She slowly walked backwards and shook her head. "I am not leaving because you told me to." She informed him as she turned her back to him and dashed towards the castle.

Jiraiya silently cursed at himself at his loud action, all he was trying to do was get a little closer to them, but he ended up leaning on a thin branch with more leaves then he thought possible. _'Stupid leaves!' _He froze in his spot when he saw Itachi stare right in his direction. _'How pathetic…I can't even spy on Sakura without revealing my location…I am really out of shape.'_ When he saw the pink hair woman run away to the castle he climbed the tree and followed her, leaving the suspicious Prince to himself.

Itachi surveyed the spot, looking for any indication of an eavesdropper, but found nothing. He looked around one last time before he slowly walked back to the castle.

He reached for his hair elastic that was normally around his wrist, but found that it wasn't there. _'She still has it.' _For an unknown reason a small smile graced his lips. With a leisurely slow pace he shoved his hands in his breeches pockets and walked to the castle.

The moon was halfway hidden by the clouds, the dim light was the only source of light Itachi had that illuminated the path. As he absentmindedly walked back to the castle his mind wandered to the exotic pink haired woman that perfectly fit in his lap moments ago. _'Something is different, in the beginning I saw her as a fun game to occupy my boring time with. She's an interesting woman with secrets that drive me insane…yet I find myself able to express emotions that were locked up years ago.' _

His head shot up to the moon that followed him through the dark forest. _'I wonder how Mother and Father would feel if they found out Sakura possesses the power to make the most sonic Uchiha in Fire Country come to life. She is of noble birth, that much is true, but she holds hatred for any high ranking member in society…it could be because she grew up in a place where she didn't belong…but even then that isn't true. She wouldn't have fit in the life that my Mother lives in, it's as if she was meant to be with those lower than herself.'_

The Castle came into his view and he quietly made his way back to his room, making sure not to let his boots click against the marble title as he climbed the spiral staircase. He soundlessly opened his bedroom door and stripped off his clothing, leaving just his black silk boxers on. As he made his way to his empty king sized bed he kept picturing a energetic, sarcastic, adventurous woman sprawled out in his bed, tangled in his sheets, naked, smiling at him with a beautifully radiant smile.

'_Why can't I stop thinking about her?' _He felt the desire, the need, for her presence increase as he pulled the covers over the lower half of his body. He sat upright in his bed noticing even more empty space in his bed. _'She makes me feel emotions that I can't explain. Having her sitting on my lap, not only did I want to ravish her senseless…but there was something else. I wanted her to trust me; I wanted her to know that she could trust me. It felt right to have her worried free in my arms.' _

He couldn't make any sense of it all, sure Sakura must feel the same; he couldn't possibly be the only one in this fickle situation, could he? His hands balled into fists. _'I wasn't paying attention to the world around us, that's how I was caught off guard by the intruding noise, when I'm with her…it's only me and her, nothing else…what does it all mean?' _A frustrated growl emitted from his throat as he punched down on his feather-stuffed mattress. Even now she's still a mystery to him.

Sakura jogged her way to the castle, noticing a figure following her with expert precision. With a smirk, Sakura jumped up, in mid-step, and flipped herself over onto a tree branch. She stood up and waited for the eavesdropper to stop in front of her.

Jiraiya came to a skidding halt when he saw a scowling pink haired woman in his way. "Ah Sakura! What a pleasant surprise to see you here on such a nice night!"

Sakura crossed her hands over her chest and snorted at Jiraiya's innocent remark. "Oh, pleasant surprise alright. What where you doing there?!" She yelled.

Jiraiya scratched the back of his head and flashed an innocent grin. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I was simply taking a nightly scroll around the woods and I ran into you."

"Cut the act Jiraiya! I knew it was you the second those leaves moved." Her emerald eyes narrowed dangerously in the old man's direction.

"For the record Sakura…" He took a sliding step towards Sakura. "You didn't tell me you were romantically involved with the Prince. You know that's very dangerous water to play in…even for you." He said with a playful smirk plastered on his goofy face.

Sakura gave Jiraiya a horrid look and threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "YOU THINK I'M ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH ITACHI?! EW! NO WAY! HE'S A ROYAL SNOB THAT THINKS HE CAN GET WHATEVER HE WANTS!"

Jiraiya shook his head in disappointment and lowered his body into a sitting position on the tree branch. He patted next to him, telling her to take a seat. "It didn't look like you hated him as you sat there on his lap flirting with him."

Sakura turned three shades of red as she tried to smack the perverted spy upside the head. "You know nothing Jiraiya."

"Silly woman." He placed his arm around Sakura's shoulders and ruffled her hair with his hand. "I am the best person to notice these things!"

Sakura grumbled under her breath. "I don't care what you think Jiraiya; I am not in love with Itachi, that's a stupid conclusion…even for you."

"Sakura." His voice changed into a very serous tone. "I am not kidding. I noticed this interesting display before, with the two of you. I thought it was one of those games he was playing…but you can imagine how amazing I was when I learned you instigated the game."

Sakura stared at her friend and sighed. "Come on, we all get bored don't we? I was having fun on a boring day, besides it's not every day you can say that you tricked the Ice Prince."

"Let me finish Sakura. You and him thought it was a game, a game that grew very…intense." He watched as her cheeks turned flaming red while memories clouded her mind. "Your reaction tells me that I'm correct. He defended you against his own father's orders. I have never seen the Uchiha go against anything his father asks. You might not have realized it Sakura, but the man has more feelings for you than just a play toy."

Sakura bit her lip at Jiraiya's conclusions. "But…I don't know what it is Jiraiya." She told him as her desperately confused jade eyes stared back at him. "I thought it was an amusing game, it got my mind of this mission. I had someone to play around with, someone that would give me reactions that I couldn't predict. At first I didn't know what to think of him…then as time went on I realized that Itachi was a different royal than the others I've come in contact with. For an unknown reason I showed him the real Kohana, secretly hoping he would make it better for those who lived hidden to everyone…when…as you call them "intense moments" awakened, it felt…different. It was another game entirely, yes, but I felt some type of spark. I felt like I was needed, that he wouldn't go away no matter how hard I'd try to push him away…is that crazy?"

Jiraiya smiled sweetly at the young woman that poured her heart out to him. _'It's not every day that she spills her heart out to me.' _

"No Sakura, it isn't crazy." He said as he took her into a hug. "You've been through more heart clenching moments than even I have gone through…for you to find others that will be with you through anything is the key."

"But…he's a Prince Jiraiya…we are two completely different people. How can I feel this comfortable around him? Hell I almost spilled my secret to him! Now tonight…I felt at peace, I never feel that calm in my life! He makes me forget what is going on in the real world…almost like I live in a fairytale."

Jiraiya chuckled lightly but held her tighter against him. "Sakura, you of all people, should know that labels don't matter. Listen to yourself; you even admit that you have feelings towards him."

Sakura wiggled out of Jiraiya's hug. "We don't belong together Jiraiya." As those words escaped her lips she didn't expect her heart to clench painfully. It hurt to admit that she couldn't have him…the fact that she **wanted** him was an unexpected emotion in itself.

Jiraiya watched as Sakura struggled to continue on with her reasoning's for not being able to have Itachi. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder when her body began to shake uncontrollably.

Sakura felt the lump inside her throat grow more and more as she tried to contain the sadness that was growing by the second. She slowly closed her eyes, hoping to collect herself, but once her eyes opened a couple tears streamed down her cheeks. Her voice was shaking while she continued on with her reasons. "The world will not allow that, I don't care how I feel or have felt about Itachi…I am not a Princess, I will never be one, no matter what you say about my blood line."

The next comment hit Sakura harder than Fugaku's punch. She didn't want to say the words out loud, but she had to, in order to make Jiraiya believe her. "I am not in love with him. He will rip, what heart I have left, out of my chest and I will crumble. When Mom passed away…" She gulped once again, trying to keep her silent tears to a minimum. "…my heart broke in half. Now that I know who my Dad is…my heart tore again, I realize that I can never be with Kakashi. I can only love him from afar. When I was little I felt that no one wanted me, that I would never be loved like the other girls were…and then I found you, Iruka, and Tsunade. You guys are the closest thing to family that I have. I consider Kakashi family…but I can never be the true daughter he deserves because of my line of work, even then, he would never permit me to openly admit that secret. Itachi is the same way. I am a secret that he shamelessly hides away."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "He does not hide anything from anyone Sakura. Do you think that he would step between you and his father to keep his secret fascination with you a secret?"

Sakura lowered her head and scanned the ground below them, not having the confidence to look him in the eye. "It's better off that I just stay out of his way. You said it yourself that this has gotten too deep."

Jiraiya tried to grab her by the arm as she rose to her feet but she moved away from his touch. "Sakura think about what you're saying…you can't possibly say that, can you?"

"What choice do I have Jiraiya? He is a Prince and belongs with a woman that is obedient and fits Fugaku's style. I'm a ruthless spy that is amazing in what I do." She turned her back to her old friend and swallowed down her nerves. _'Why am I so torn about this?'_

"Do you think I'll give up my passion for a random stab in the dark that could, most likely, send me into a cloud of darkness?"

Jiraiya abruptly jumped to his feet and roughly grabbed Sakura by the shoulders. "You stubborn Hakate! If you honestly think that, I will not try and brainwash you, God knows how stubborn you are, but think about it. What happened tonight? What did you feel, what do you think he felt? Use that to guide you into doing what you feel is the right thing to do. Do you believe that you truly feel nothing for that man? Think about that and then tell me your answer."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but Jiraiya had already disappeared into the night. She stood there, motionless, on the branch. _'How I felt?' _She looked down at the ground and jumped down to the steady surface. _'I felt…complete…I felt like I belonged.' _

She turned on the back of her foot and ran towards the castle. _'Every time he touched me, every word, sent my heart racing…at first it was frightening, I didn't know what it was, but I've gotten used to it. He has been the only one to make my heart twitch passionately. When he told me that he was jealous about Sasuke…I felt…touched. Why would he be jealous of his younger brother? At first it didn't make sense to me, but as tonight continued on…I saw that he was truly hurt that I have never told him my secrets. When have I felt this way towards Itachi? I could barely bring myself to admit that I didn't hold feelings for him…because I know I do…and that is what scares me the most.' _

She jumped through the window that she kept opened every night and settled down into her straw bed. _'I have to stay as far away as possible from him. It will only make matters worse if I see him. These feelings can not come up again. It's dangerous…dangerous for me.'_

The sun rose high above Kohana in an inviting manner. Blacksmiths, farmers, horseman, everyone crowded the busy streets for another day of the beautiful sun. Inside the castle, Sakura and Anko were hard at work trying to make a list of their finest meals to present to Mikoto.

"This is why I hate Balls." Anko growled out as she searched the pantry for ducks.

"You and me both Anko, it's just another excuse for everyone to come here and make us go crazy." Sakura took her ink feather pen and made another tally mark next to the list labeled duck.

"All those maggots are a pain in my ass! They make me cook for hours on end, make you run around like a chicken without a head, and then complain about it! If they don't like how something turns out then they can eat dirt for all I care!"

Sakura laughed at her friend's riled up state; Anko was a worse sport about Balls than she was. _'This will be an interesting Ball…working with Anko.' _It wasn't every day she could watch Anko go livid and boss every cook in the castle around without getting in trouble.

A knock was heard on the kitchen door, making Anko and Sakura be taken out of their thoughts. "What do you want?!" Anko yelled with impatience.

Neil came through the door timidly and surveyed the room. "Queen Uchiha wanted to know how it was coming in here."

Sakura resisted the urge to glare at the traitor in front of her. "We're fine." She stated coldly, surprising Anko and Neil.

Neil said nothing else and left the women alone. Anko lifted a confused eye brow in Sakura's direction. "Where did that tone come from?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders and jumped off the cutting table. "Nothing Anko, I just don't like him."

"Why? He's quiet…more of a reason to like him."

Sakura sighed and grabbed two empty wooden crates. "More of a reason to hate him." She mumbled under her breath. "I'm going to take this outside."

Anko nodded her head and turned her attention back to the many lifeless ducks, their black beady eyes staring back at her emotionlessly. "Don't give me that look." She told them. "I'm only cooking you…I think you will taste amazing! It's the guests that will complain."

Sakura carried the crates down the hallway and outside into the backyard. She shut the large door behind her and placed the crates in the pile with all the others that manifested on the side of the door. _'Only a few more hours of this and then I can finally take a break.' _Sakura stretched out her arms and then continued, in a slow walk, back to the kitchen.

Taking the long way to the kitchen was a bad idea. Sakura turned around the corner only to see the very person that she has been trying, and succeeding, to avoid all morning. _'You're fucking kidding me right?'_

She continued walking straight as if she didn't notice him. She tried to ignore the way her heart sped up, how her body wanted to throw itself into his arms, and how breathing seemed to be a challenging activity. _'All thanks to Jiraiya that perverted old man.' _

Itachi knew she was avoiding him all morning that much was obvious, normally in the morning he would see her doing her morning rounds with Mikoto. Since Neil was the servant to be under watch, Mikoto handed Sakura over to Anko. He thought Sakura would argue with his mother at the proposal, but she nodded her head obediently and took the order without a fuss. His mother noticed the change in Sakura, but didn't dwell on it, the Ball was coming and she needed everything to be as normal, and impressive, as usual.

Not seeing her in the morning, poking her head around the corner, making sure every royal member was awake sent an ache of sadness to his heart. He was up all night trying to figure out the strange feelings, and not seeing her made those feelings worse.

The morning went on brutally slow and when he was finally free from his father's clutches he needed to get some air. _'What if I don't become King? Sasuke is more enthusiastic about the whole thing than I am…I could pass it down…Father would die on the spot if I told him.' _

Itachi continued to walk down the deserted hallway until a splash of pink was seen from the corner of his eye. When he saw her walking down the hallway, looking down at the ground, in hopes of avoiding him, it aggravated him.

Sakura thought she was going to get away from him, but when his hand grabbed her wrist she knew she wasn't that lucky. He pulled her into a side closet and shut the metal door behind him.

He reached for the candles that lined the perimeter of the room and lit one. Sakura flinched inwardly as angry red eyes glared down at her.

"What's wrong with you?"

Sakura didn't look him in the eye and sidestepped around him. "I need to get back to work." Was all she allowed herself to say, the fact that she couldn't get him to stay away from her set her on edge. _'A Prince would be happy a servant wasn't bothering him anymore!'_

Itachi didn't like her emotionless answer. The same feeling from last night thumped through his chest. He grabbed her arm and shoved her against a wall; he was not going to let her escape.

He didn't say anything to Sakura, he just stared at her. Sakura didn't miss the way her heart clenched in her chest from the hurtful look he gave her. Jiraiya's words from last night kept playing over and over in her head. _"Do you honestly believe that you feel nothing for that man?" _His hurtful look, the depressing slouch he made when she blindly accepted Mikoto's "demotion" sent her world into turmoil. Nothing was simple anymore, nothing was the same.

She felt the need, the craving, the want, to throw herself at Itachi and never let go. He stood there, patiently, waiting for her to answer the question he asked minutes ago. Those piercing red eyes that continued to search her face for answers left her breathless. _'What am I doing? I told myself that I had to stay away from him! You're only going to get hurt Sakura, back away, back away.' _

She thought about escaping, but when she looked into his eyes one more time…she couldn't bring herself to do it. _'Staring into his broken eyes…I want to reach out to him, to tell him I'm sorry…to tell him…to tell him I am here for him…but I can't.'_

Itachi knew there was something wrong with Sakura, she didn't fight with him to let her go, and she stood perfectly still. The emotions that raced through her eyes were shouting for help. Help from what? Watching the strong, determined woman he knew dwindle down to a lost little girl tore him into pieces.

'_Sakura you can't fall in love with him…it's just like how Kakashi gave you the cold shoulder your whole life, to save you from his enemies. Well I'm saving him from me…he doesn't need a woman like me.'_

Sakura fought with herself as her wall began to break into pieces. Itachi stood there patiently not knowing what to say, what to do, to collect the slowly breaking Sakura before him. Sakura looked back from the door to Itachi, and when she did, everything cracked. She threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and buried her face into his chest.

"I'm…I'm sorry." She mumbled into his chest as her grip around his neck tightened desperately.

Itachi caught Sakura and shielded her from the world. His arms circled around her waist and he brought her as close as he possible could into him. At first he was a little startled by her sporadic lunge but he had her in his arms, he wasn't going to let her go.

Itachi held her tightly, hoping it would calm down the trembling woman, as he sank to the floor. He sat there patiently waiting for her to stop shaking before he said anything.

Sakura didn't know how long she stayed in his arms, or how long her body was shaking, but when it subsided she took a deep breath in and brought her head up to look at the man that patiently held her in place.

"You're…you're not gonna say anything?" She asked him as she wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

Itachi stared at her intently and brought her back into one of his own bone crushing hugs. "No. There is nothing to say."

Sakura nodded her head in his chest, it was a very good point, she didn't feel like talking and by the way he clasped onto her it seemed like he just wanted to enjoy the moment they had together.

'_This feeling…what could it be?' _Itachi moved his chin on top of Sakura's head and took a deep breath in. The scent of dough filled his nostrils as he rubbed Sakura's arms to comfort her and himself. _'I don't know what came over me, to see her stubborn self crumble into a lost woman, I never want to see that again. She doesn't fit that emotion, she belongs at the top of her game, sarcastic and all. I will not let anything bad happen to you Sakura, I promise that, no matter what the consequences will be. You make me feel in ways I never knew I could…that's just it…you made me feel again.'_

Meanwhile the angry cook was stomping around the kitchen looking for a certain pink haired assistant.

"Where did Pinky wander off to?! She knows I need her here!"

Anko snorted an unladylike huff and slammed her way down the hallways. Every servant and cook stood tightly against the wall, making sure they did not get in the way of Anko's raging temper.

"Pinky!" Anko screamed down a random hallway, trying to cover as much area as possible. _'She's got to be around here somewhere! Where did she tell me she was going again?' _Anko shook her head at herself, if she wasn't busy thinking of ways to broil the ducks she would have heard Sakura.

Itachi heard the grueling cook's scream bounce off the stone walls and make its way into their secluded area. He felt Sakura snap upright and start to scramble to her feet.

"Shit! I forgot about Anko! She's going to kill me!" Sakura jumped to her feet and placed a hurried hand on the wooden door opener.

Before Sakura could push herself out the door Itachi's hand covered her anxious one. She tilted her head up to see the Prince staring down at her.

"I need to go Itachi! Anko is going to slaughter me with her kitchen knives, and trust me, that is scarier than you'd think."

Itachi said nothing as he leaned down and kissed Sakura longingly. "Go." He said with his smirk when he saw Sakura stammer over her own two feet as she ran down the hall to the screaming Anko.

Anko stood at the end of the hall as she saw Sakura trip out of the closet and was running in her direction.

"Where have you been Pinky?! I've been looking all over for you!"

Sakura giggled lightly at Anko, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry Anko. I was moving the crates and then I had to look for other items, but there wasn't anything in there."

Anko narrowed her black eyes at the suspicious Sakura before her but shook her head. "Whatever! Come on we need to get back to work." She grabbed onto Sakura's arm and pulled her back to the kitchen.

'_I guess you were right Jiraiya…' _Sakura thought to herself as she looked back to the opened door where Itachi was still hiding. _'I can't hide from the truth…I will let the pieces fall where they go.'_

Itachi stayed behind in the closet as he listened to the crazy cook yell at Sakura for disappearing. _'And this would be one of those times that I agree with Sakura about how scary that cook is…how can she stand her?' _He couldn't hear their voices anymore and he stealthy walked out of the closet and shut the door. _'Sakura knows how to find the odd ones.' _He thought to himself as another smirk graced his lips. It felt good to have not a care in the world. _'Is this what it would be like all the time?' _If so, he knew he could get used to it.

The day passed by in a flash after that. Sakura and Anko were running around the castle trying to get every piece of food that they could use, assembled on the table. When the giant grandfather clock's dong, at the top of the castle's bell tower, filled the whole kingdom with its cheerful noise Sakura dropped the knife and jumped for joy.

"Finally! We are done!" She shouted happily,

Anko whipped the sweat off her forehead and nodded her head. "I think we should call that good for now. Come back in a couple of hours and we can get started on cooking the duck. I can't believe this thing is in only four days."

Sakura wrapped the knife in a cloth and started to clean her station. "I know…in just a few days Anko we will be watching all those royal ass holes come in and trash the place. I hate dances. Mikoto is going to make us have the most ridiculous outfits."

Anko laughed at Sakura's misfortune. "Ha! Sucks to be you Pinky. At least no one will see me I can wear my nasty white shirt with blood stains as long as I want." A truly happy smile flashed across Anko's face.

Sakura stuck her tongue out and tossed the knife aside. "Yeah, yeah, yeah Anko. I'll see you in a few hours!" She said over her shoulder as she closed the kitchen door behind her.

With new relief flowing through her system Sakura took a deep breath and walked towards her living quarters. _'It's been too long since I've gotten a decent amount of sleep. A little nap wouldn't hurt.'_

"Sakura!" A familiar voice shouted down the hall, stopping her from walking into her room. _'So close too.' _She thought sadly.

She turned around and saw Sasuke panting in front of her. "What's up Sasuke?"

Sasuke collected his breathing and looked her dead in the eyes. "I want to go to one of your fights! I heard from the townspeople that there is a underground fight tonight."

Sakura stared at Sasuke with sympathetic eyes. "Did you do anything today Sasuke?" By the eagerness and pleading in his voice she already knew the answer to his question.

"No." He said quietly. "Father thinks I'll destroy everything. I'm just as much part of this as anyone else. Itachi doesn't even like to do anything and yet he's going to be King…it's not fair. Give it to someone who wants it."

'_Itachi doesn't want to be King?' _She stared at Sasuke with confusion but swallowed it down quickly before she continued on with her decision. _'I know Anko is going to kill me for doing this, and I know I'll be kicking myself in the ass for doing this…but everyone can have a little fun.'_

"Sure Sasuke I'll take you. We should get going now."

Sasuke smirked at her answer and nodded his head. "Hn. Lead the way."

With that Sakura lead the young teenage boy into her room and shut the door behind her. "You can not tell anyone about my secret stash ok?" She told him as she bent down to her straw bed and began to pull out miscellaneous items.

Sasuke nodded is head when Sakura collected all the clothing and weapons that she needed. She walked over to a shadow filled corner and changed out of her tattered linen dress. When she came out of the shadows, his eyes almost popped out of his head.

Before him was no longer the servant that wore their disgusting linen dress. Sakura had her long pink hair tied up into a high set pony-tail, her bangs waved freely on the side of her face, making her sparkling green eyes pop out. A black wool cape covered her figure from the world while Sasuke could hear heels clicking against the marble floor.

Sakura resisted the urge to chuckle at Sasuke's expression. "Don't worry you get a makeover to Sasuke. We can't have you dressed like that."

Sasuke blinked a couple of times and turned his head to the side, hiding his blush from her. "Whatever."

She giggled lightly as she tossed him a leather shirt and leather pants his way. "Put these on, you will need to blend in. This way no one will suspect you because if you prance around at night in your clan's attire I'm sorry but I don't think I'd be able to stop their attacks on you."

She saw him stiffen at her words and smirked. "Hurry and get…" She couldn't finish her statement for Sasuke dropped every piece of clothing, excluding his underwear, and horribly got dressed in the claustrophobic clothing.

"Let's go."

Sakura giggled lightly as she pushed open her window and jumped to the ground. Sasuke followed her every action as the two of them disappeared into the darkening night.

"How's the suspect doing?" Kakashi asked Mikoto as him and Itachi sat in the secluded living room.

Mikoto sighed and rested her back against the couch. "He's fine. He hasn't done anything to make me nervous." She looked across the room at the wall. "I miss Sakura though, she was always more lively. This one very quiet."

Kakashi nodded is head. "I know Mikoto, that's why we need to keep an eye on him, you know what Tsunade's spy said."

Mikoto nodded her head. "I know…I just wish I didn't have to spend the time prepping for the Ball with him."

"But Sakura doesn't seem like the type that likes to sit around and watch you set up for Balls. In a way, this change in roles might be a good thing for her."

Mikoto glared at Kakashi's remark while Itachi stiffened a little in his seat. Kakashi rubbed the back of his head and gave them a worried free smile. "Or not."

"It's just not the same Kakashi." Mikoto picked up her tea cup and took a sip out of it. "I have been accustomed to Sakura for so long I've taken her for granted I guess."

Kakashi chuckled at Mikoto's pathetic looking face but took her into a reassuring hug. "No worries Mikoto."

Before they could continue with their conversation there was a knock at their door. Mikoto looked to Itachi and waved him to answer the door. "I wonder who it could be."

Itachi gracefully opened the ten foot high oak door to see a huffing and puffing Anko scanning the room with worried eyes.

"Anko!" Mikoto jumped up from the couch and waved for her to come in.

Anko walked into the room, not allowing Itachi to walk back into the room first. Itachi shut the door behind her while he stood as still as stone. Kakashi looked at the high strung cook with a raised eye brow.

"What do I owe the pleasure Anko? I'm sure the preparations for the Ball are going good?"

Anko stood up straight and nodded her head unenthusiastically. "Yeah the food will be fine Queen."

"Then why are you here?" Itachi asked with suspecting eyes, there was no reason for this cook to be here.

Anko glared right back at Itachi and flicked him off with her middle finger. "Fuck off Uchiha. I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the Queen, now sit down like a good little boy and leave this discussion to the grown ups." She spitted out.

Itachi and Kakashi stared at the blunt cook with speculating eyes. They looked to Mikoto to see her laughing softly at her. Apparently this was normal behavior from the outrageous cook.

"Yes Anko, what can I do for you?"

Anko slouched in her spot and growled. "I don't know how you can put up with her Queen. Pinky flits about any chance she gets."

Mikoto nodded her head. "Yes Sakura doesn't like to be cooped up in a place for too long…but what does that…?"

Anko cut off Mikoto with another snort and a stomp. "She's gone."

Itachi and Kakashi, both, froze in their spots. Mikoto, however, waved her hand and lowered herself back to the couch. "Anko you know how she is. Sakura will be back in a few minutes I'm sure."

Anko sighed and covered her face with her hands. "I swear when I get a hold of that woman I'm going to choke her to death."

When Anko exited the room Mikoto turned to her two most trusted men. "Can you guys go find Sakura? Just to make sure she is ok? I know how she is and with Anko in charge…I'm a little afraid for her."

Kakashi and Itachi nodded their heads in unison and walked out to the garden.

"Where do you think she'd go?" Kakashi asked as they searched the Garden for any signs of Sakura.

Itachi said nothing as they left the empty garden and headed towards her room. "She does anything that pops out at her."

Kakashi nodded his head as the servant's quarters came into view. "Might as well check the most common place."

When Kakashi opened the door they were greeted with the same empty scene as the garden. Itachi grinded his teeth together in frustration, _'Where could she be?'_

Kakashi shook his head but noticed the opened window across from Sakura's bed. _'Hm…there are two places she would have gone.'_

"Follow me. I think I might know where she is."

Itachi and Kakashi jumped out of Sakura's already opened window and sprinted off into the forest. Itachi followed in sync with Kakashi as they sprinted off towards a cemetery at the top of a hill.

When they got to the entrance of the gated cemetery, Kakashi took one sweep of the place, and again there was no Sakura. Kakashi let out a sigh as he ruffled the top of his hair.

"I have one more place in mind."

Itachi stared at the morbid place for an extra second before he followed Kakashi back towards the town. _'Why would Sakura go to a cemetery? She's never hinted that she had a deceased relative before…very peculiar.' _The missing information reminded Itachi of everything he still had to learn about the mysterious woman.

'_The only other place I can think of would be Iruka's, after that, I'm fresh out of ideas. Where else would she go?'_

Kakashi and Itachi ran in silence as they weaved around the townspeople houses until Kakashi stopped at a house, it's back facing the very hill that held the right side of the castle.

Itachi was puzzled. _'Why are we here?' _He waited patiently as Kakashi knocked on the back door of the wooden home.

He heard footsteps make their way to the door and with a click the door revealed Iruka with a bright smile on his face.

"Hello Kakashi, Itachi, what can I do for you?" He asked kindly as he opened his door to let them in.

Kakashi and Itachi walked into Iruka's living room surveyed the place, looking for an energetic pink head to bounce around the corner at any minute. Unfortunately, they didn't have such luck.

"Have you seen Sakura?" Kakashi asked Iruka as he brought his attention back to his old friend.

Iruka shook his head. "Not since Mikoto has given her a boat load of work at the castle. I figured I wouldn't see her until the Ball is over, Mikoto keeps her pretty busy."

"My mother was the very one that sent us to find Sakura." Itachi interjected, the fact that they couldn't find her worried him and sent him over the edge.

"We were hoping you could give us any ideas if she wasn't with you." Kakashi asked with a lazy smile.

Iruka stared at the two men with concerned eyes. "Did you check the cemetery?"

"Yes. She wasn't there."

"Hm…I'm going to assume that you checked the Garden at the castle and her bed? I know she values her sleep."

Itachi nodded his head. "Hn. Same result."

Iruka walked around in a circle as he tried to figure out another place Sakura would be. "What day is it today?" He randomly asked.

Itachi rose an eye brow at the question. "The fourth sunrise after March…why?"

Iruka sighed and shook his head in disappointment. He looked at Kakashi with knowing eyes. "What takes place in the streets every week once the wet season rolls in?"

Kakashi and Itachi gave Iruka another confused look not understanding his riddle. Iruka sighed, once again, and grabbed two spare black cloaks.

"She's at the underground fights." Iruka said as he tossed his cape around his neck and allowed his attire to be hidden behind the shield.

Iruka tossed Kakashi and Itachi their own cloaks as realization clicked into their brains.

"Sasuke." Itachi growled out as he hastily put on his cloak.

Kakashi nodded his head and put on his own cloak as well. "Would you mind leading us to the event my old friend?"

Iruka nodded his head. "Sure Kakashi, I have a few words for Sakura myself. I told her that she needed to stop getting herself into trouble with the local muscle heads."

As the three men exited Iruka's home they continued on their way to the south of town, where all the sketchy activities took place. During their silent walk Itachi didn't understand how Sakura knew the interrogator.

"How do you know Sakura?" He asked.

Iruka turned to the side and flashed Itachi a friendly smile. "It was a strange meeting I will say."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side in bewilderment. "Care to share Iruka? I never did hear how you and Sakura met."

Iruka knew he was insinuating more underneath his question but none the less, he would answer the question. "It was a rainy night when I found the poor girl on my doorstep. She was unconscious so I took her in, I didn't understand why she would be out during a storm as wild as that one, but she needed shelter." Iruka noticed the hurt expression cross Kakashi's face, but continued on with his story, making sure to keep out a few very important details.

"When she woke up she told me that she was chased by a few Lords from the castle. Apparently she caught them doing something when she was making her way to the wash room." Iruka smiled to himself as he allowed memories of Sakura's growth fill his mind. "Ever since then…she never stopped coming back, she'd visit me whenever her shift was completed at the castle, or she'd sneak out just to talk to me. I never told her she had to continue to visit me…but it soon grew into a rutine and we have had a very close relationship ever since."

Itachi nodded his head in understanding. "You're basically her father figure then."

Kakashi stiffened slightly at the comment. He was her father! Not Iruka, but, Iruka had been there for Sakura where he never was. In Iruka's own right he was Sakura's father.

"Yes, in a way, I was." Iruka said with a small nod.

The three men heard cheering and shouting grow louder. Iruka looked in the direction and placed his hood over his head. "We are getting close. Don't draw attention to yourself; these guys will attack anything that makes the wrong move."

Sasuke followed Sakura very closely as they weaved through the crowd of people. Sasuke couldn't stop looking at all the various persons that walked around the place. He saw half naked men punching a stone wall, women in shorter than normal dresses gliding up and down on other men, and random sellers mingled their way through the crowds trying to get others to buy their stolen merchandise.

Sakura paid no attention to the questionable stares as she towed Sasuke to the fighting ring that would soon be filled with ruthless and brutal fighters. She found a safe spot that would allow Sasuke to see the whole fight without getting them in trouble.

"Told you it was different Sasuke."

Sasuke reluctantly turned his head from the crowd and nodded his head in Sakura's direction. "Yeah…you weren't kidding."

Sakura laughed and before she sat down on the grass she took off her cape. Sakura loved the feeling she got as the cape flittered to the floor. Sasuke felt the fabric hit his arm and he looked up to see a stretching Sakura above him.

She wore leather shorts, dyed red, that were cut unevenly halfway up her thigh. Her black leather tank top hugged her curves, leaving a few inches of her stomach to be revealed. Her red knuckled gloves crinkled as she formed them into a fist. Her black leather heels sank into the grass as she brought herself back down onto the grass, sitting on her cape.

"Look what the cat coughed up." A male voice said a few feet in front of them.

Sasuke looked at Sakura with a curious expression as leaves crunched under a boot. Sakura crossed her legs at her ankles and stared knowingly at the shadows.

"Even then I still look better than you do Jet." Sakura insulted back.

The man Jet chuckled deeply as he walked out of the shadows. Sasuke observed the man with wary eyes. _'Something doesn't sit right with this guy.' _His leather tight pants and cotton shorts sleeve shirt screamed warning. His mischievous hazel eyes looked between him and Sakura while his jet black hair was slicked back with grease.

"What brings you back around these parks? I haven't seen you since Giant rubbed you the wrong way."

Sakura shrugged her shoulders and stared at Sasuke. "My cousin wanted to see the place." Her tone slipped into an icey tone. "You know exactly why I left that cock sucker on the ground bleeding from his ears."

Sasuke shuttered at Sakura's language. _'What happened with this kid Giant? He must have really got Sakura angry.' _And Sasuke figured out that getting her mad was **not** a wise idea.

Jet stepped back a couple of feet from Sakura's tone. "I see you haven't changed. I hope your fighting hasn't either…you used to bring in a lot of money for us."

Sasuke stared wide eyed at Sakura. _'She'd fight for money?!'_

Sakura smirked sweetly. "I have no reason to receive money from ass holes like you. I've already figured out the information I need."

Jet nodded his head and turned his back to the two. "I feel bad for the poor man that decided to fuck with you Sakura. I'll place my bets on the snake man because I have sympathy for the world of hurt you'll put him in."

Sakura giggled at the petrified stance Jet was in. "How kind of you."

Sasuke watched as the man practically scurried away from Sakura. _'She has enemies?' _His head was hurting with all the new information that he was digging up tonight. _'Who knew someone could have so many secrets!'_

"Gather around! The bets and bloodshed is about to begin!" A announcer shouted across the field.

Sasuke watched with fascination as the the grimy people scurried around the dirt section with Lenin thread around the perimeter. They stood on their feet eager to see who the first victim was going to be.

"Do they always get this excited?" Sasuke asked as two fighters entered the "ring" and cheered loudly.

Sakura nodded her head. "You haven't seen anything yet Sasuke. These people find entertainment in others pain. They will place all their hard earned money to win a huge sum of gold that, if they were lucky, they could take that home and it would last them years."

Sasuke nodded his head as the first opponent took his victim to the dirt ground and started punching him in the back. The people jumped up and down cheering at the top of their lungs.

He studied Sakura a few times as she sat there, unflinching, as the men massacred each other. "And you…you fought in these?" The shock was unmistakable in his question.

Sakura peeled her eyes away from the fight and nodded her head sadly at Sasuke. "I needed the money to pay someone to find information about my parents. Unlike you, I had nothing; I had to work every day and night to stay in top shape."

The announcer whistled loudly as two people grabbed the unconscious boy on the ground and tossed him down the hill, where his body crashed half way into the river.

"I'm sure you could imagine the excitement, and underestimation, I got for being the only little girl entering in these fights." Sakura's voice receded to a whisper, Sasuke watched as her eyes zoned off into memory lane. "They laughed at me said I wasn't good enough to beat any of them. I trained myself, watched their practices when I could, when my first fight came around I brought a man down within seconds." She shook her head to get rid of her past memories and flashed Sasuke a smile. "They never spit in my face ever again." She said with pride.

The cheering got louder and louder as the net fighters were announced to the crowd. Iruka, Kakashi, and Itachi looked around the grimy area looking for Sakura.

Itachi watched as the two contestants went at it, tackling each other, throwing cheap punches when the other least expected it, to Itachi it looked like senseless fighting.

"And Sakura would come here why?" Kakashi asked revoltingly as he eyed the fighting with disgrace.

Iruka shrugged his shoulders. "She never told me why she entered in the fights, just that she needed to find something out."

'_And that is the honest truth.' _Iruka thought shamefully, it never sat well with him that Sakura kept the reason behind putting herself in danger from him.

Itachi grabbed Iruka by the shoulder and stared him down. "She participated in this murder?"

Iruka moved Itachi's tightening grip off his shoulder and nodded very slowly. "Yes, she did when she was little."

Kakashi stared at Iruka with unforgiving eyes. "How could you allow that Iruka?"

Iruka was going to defend himself but Sasuke's voice made him shut his trap entirely. The three men turned around to see the youngest Prince standing on his feet trying to get see which one of the fighters lost.

"Come on." Itachi growled out as he glided towards Sasuke.

Itachi stopped short when Sakura stood up from the ground. Kakashi and Iruka stared at Sakura's back with dazed eyes. Her outfit was very inappropriate to wear around the horny men that resided there! Even Sasuke had typical citizens clothing on.

"Sakura has an extensive wardrobe doesn't she?" Kakashi managed to choke out.

Iruka sighed and continued where Itachi stopped walking. "She's a woman; they all have a lot of clothing."

"Is he down?" Sasuke asked Sakura.

Sakura took one glance at the fight and sat back down. "Wait and find out Sasuke, I don't want to ruin the surprise for you."

The young boy that Sasuke was subconsciously rooting for was thrown out of the ring next to the first opponent. "Oh." Was all he managed to say.

"Sakura!" A voice yelled from behind them.

Sakura froze in her sitting position. _'Oh I'm fucked. What's Iruka doing here?'_

Sasuke turned around and saw three cloaked figures running towards them. When they stopped in front of him they all removed their hoods.

"Brother?!" Sasuke shouted in pure shock. "What are you doing here?"

Itachi glared at Sasuke. "I should be asking you the same thing."

Iruka shook his head and stared down at Sakura in disappointment. "I thought we talked about this Sakura. You shouldn't have brought Sasuke here."

Sakura jumped up into a standing position and turned around to face Iruka. She smiled sweetly at the man and placed an arm around Sasuke. "But Iruka the kid was bored. He wanted some entertainment…and I did promise him I'd take him to one of these."

"He shouldn't be seeing this Sakura."

Sakura glared at Iruka and shook her head. "This is exactly what he needs to see what his father has hidden! He wouldn't learn this on his own! He wanted action I gave him action!"

"I thought I recognized that loud high pitched voice." A voice said from the distance, interrupting Sakura's conversation.

Kakashi grabbed Sasuke and placed him between Itachi and himself. Iruka stood as still as stone, his eyes never leaving the shadows. Itachi stared at Sakura with growing intensity.

Sakura glared into the shadows and placed her gloved hands on her hips. "And here I thought you'd finally vanished."

The voice chuckled darkly. "Sorry to disappoint you little flower but how could I ever leave you?"

Itachi felt his insides curl at the nickname given to Sakura. _'Who is this guy?' _His powerful red eyes looked between Sakura and the shadow covered man hidden behind the trees.

"What do you want Sid?" Sakura growled out.

The said man took a step out of the shadows and walked calmly towards the furious Sakura. His grey shoulder-length hair rested freely while his blue eyes mocked Sakura. His red leather pants were the only piece of clothing he wore. His gigantic muscles bulged out of his arms as he folded them across his chest.

Itachi didn't like the way the man presented himself before Sakura. _'He better not touch her.' _He used all of his restrain to hold himself back from sending this muscle crazed man into the next spring.

"When Jet told me you were here I had to come see for myself." His blue eyes shifted to the four men behind Sakura. "Looks like you've found some friends."

Sakura stepped into his line of sight. "What of it? We were just about to leave."

Sid chuckled and waved his hands in front of his chest. "Oh it's nothing Sakura, I'm just…oh I'm hurt that you'd leave me after everything we have done for you."

Sakura placed her arms on her hips and stiffened at his words. "You have done nothing for me Sid. I've kicked every man's ass that you've thrown my way, even yours, I got what I needed and now I'm done."

The giant muscle head nodded his head in agreement. "Exactly little flower. You leave us right when the gold was getting good." He looked behind her at the pose of people and clicked his tongue on the roof on his mouth. "I'm sure these stiffs found everything you needed huh?"

Sakura's fists tightened against the side of her hips but she swallowed her anger and smiled sweetly at the annoying man in front of her. "Goodbye Sid."

Sakura turned on the back of her heel and gave everyone the sign to start to walk away. She got as far as putting one foot down before Sid said something very, very, stupid.

"I don't know why you would want to find information about that whore of a mother anyways."

Sakura froze in mid-step. Iruka turned around, abruptly, trying to stare Sakura into a calm state. Kakashi's whole body went ridig. _'What did he just say?' _He turned around to glare at the smirking jerk.

Itachi and Sasuke stared at the shaking Sakura. Her whole body shook with anger, her fists shook by her side, while her heels dug deep holes into the grass.

"What. Did. You. Say." Sakura growled out.

Sid slouched to one side and let out a simple sigh. "Come on little flower, face it. You're slut of a mother popped you out of her pussy and didn't want to see your sinful face again. See? You could have came to me and saved yourself all that money."

Kakashi wanted to kill the man before him for insulting his wife, but he couldn't find a way to cover up the murder. _'Not like anyone would mind.'_

In a split second Sakura was next to Sid, her blade dangerously close to his jugular. "In one swift movement I could sever your throat and twist this knife around all the way through. I will kill you."

Sasuke felt the same fear that the spy gave him crawl up his spine. _'Does Sakura know the spy or something? Their both equally as frightening.'_

Itachi stared at Sakura, a little frightened. _'She's…merciless.' _He couldn't help but picture Tsunade's spy next to Sakura. _'They can't possibly be the same person could they?' _In the beginning he wouldn't have believed that but now as more information spilled from Sakura's past…anything was possible.

Kakashi wanted to smile in pride, but shake with anger. _'She's as scary as her old man, but she's not suppose to know how to kill people.' _He couldn't believe Iruka allowed his daughter to participate in the fights.

"Sakura." Iruka called out. "Enough." He ordered.

Sid allowed a sloppy grin to spill across his face. "Yeah Sakura listen to your little man."

Sakura growled and shot Iruka a angered look. "Watch where you sleep tonight Sid. There might be a little visitor in a black cape…and let's just say when you wake up there will be no dick in-between your legs anymore." Sakura whispered in his ear as she traced the knife, very slowly, away from his neck.

Iruka suspiciously watched Sid's face pale completely. _'What did she tell him?' _

"Let's go back." Sakura said as she turned her attention back to the four men waiting for her.

As Sakura turned around she saw a man with white spiky hair in the crowd. She stopped halfway around and stared intently at the white dot that moved in an all to familiar fashion to the exit.

"Iruka…stay with me for a second." Sakura asked.

Itachi, Kakashi and Sasuke didn't move from their spots as Iruka walked towards Sakura. She looked to the three of them and flashed them a fake smile.

"We will be right behind you, I just need to tell Iruka something private."

The three remaining men reluctantly left the scene and made their way back to the Castle. Itachi didn't stop periodically checking over his shoulder watching Sakura exchange a few words with Iruka. _'I don't feel right leaving her alone…I have a bad feeling about this.'_

Iruka stared at Sakura with confusion. "Sakura what is…"

"Look Iruka." Sakura grabbed his head and made him follow the line of sight that she saw. "It's Kabuto!"

Iruka stood still as stone as the purple cloaked figure exchanged a few words with a seller. "We have to get Tsunade."

Sakura shook her head. "By the time we get her his trail will be gone. We have to act now." She reached down for her cape and pulled out a note. "Give this to Anko. I'm going to follow Kabuto."

Iruka shook his head violently. "No! I can not allow you to do that Sakura! Kakashi was about to have my headed when he found out you participated in this. I can't throw you into the lion's mouth!"

Sakura grabbed Iruka's shoulder and gave him a pleading look. "Who else can we send Iruka? You aren't trained in this area, I am. I'll simply follow Kabuto and leave clue for Tsunade to follow. I won't do anything that will put me into danger I promise."

Iruka bit his lip as he contemplated allowing Sakura to chase after the very threat that would be knocking on the Uchiha's doors in a few days.

"Ok Sakura. Just be careful! I will send Tsunade after you as soon as I can."

Sakura kissed Iruka on the cheek and gave him a tight hug. "I will Iruka."

Before Iruka knew it, Sakura flipped her hood over her head and disappeared into the crowd, her skill in shadowing Kabuto shinned out to him.

'_Oh Sakura please be careful. I have a feeling that I've done something very wrong. My hope lies with you now Sakura, I hope you believe in yourself as much as everyone else believes in you.'_

_

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_

TO

BE

CONTINUED

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_**Author's Note:**_ I hope you all enjoyed that! I keep breaking my record with each chapter my god! This chapter is 43 pages…in case anyone wanted to know that. The suspense just keeps building and building! I don't know if even i can handle it! :)

PLEASE REVIEW!!


	16. Chapter 16

_**Author's Note**_: Well everyone I would like to personally thank you for reading the very long previous chapter. I hope you all enjoy this action packed chapter. **Warning: this is a gruesome chapter.**

Enjoy!!

Dedicated to: Hypnotized Angel, Takakuma, xXbunnyholicXx, sodapopgirly83, midnightblue123, Midnitesilverwolf, shadow miko, The Reveiwer known as Name, snorkabuziaczek, nightwish635, Shade of the Ace, sunshinestar16, nickeledwards, MidKnight Karina, kitty cullen, just-let-me-go, ., Abmonkey8, and jjdjd

* * *

Iruka stayed frozen on the hill. No matter how many times he told himself that sending Sakura to follow Kabuto was a smart idea, his gut didn't want to believe him. With a defeated sigh he placed his hood over his head and dashed the castle.

'_I wonder why Sakura wrote the cook a letter…not many servants can read.' _Iruka didn't doubt Sakura's judgment and continued his powerful stride through the town.

Anko tapped her foot against the hard kitchen floor, clearly aggravated by Sakura's inability to stay in one place for more than an hour. _'God Sakura why do you torture me?' _She looked down at the spinning knife in her hands; a small smile crawled across her face. _'Then again I wouldn't have liked you from the beginning if you weren't as crazy as you are.'_

She was about to get back to skinning the feathered duck beside her when a quant knock was heard on her kitchen door. Anko swiftly jammed her butcher's knife into the wooden table and strolled lazily to the noise.

"What do you want?" Anko said annoyingly as she pulled opened the door in an uninterested manner.

Iruka stood before the annoyed cook. "I have a message from Sakura. She told me that I needed to give this to you."

Anko snapped the letter from his outstretched hand. "Thanks." She said urgently as she motioned to shut the door.

Iruka placed a hand on the door before it could shut and forced his way halfway into the kitchen. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

Anko glared at the mysterious man in front of her and snorted. "Back off fucker, I'm not some helpless servant. I know how to read."

Iruka nodded his head shamefully. "I'm sorry I just assumed…"

"Yeah that's the problem with you men, you think just because I'm a woman, and a cook, that I can't read. How else do you think I follow cooking recipes?! God damn it! You guys can be stupid!"

With her rant in full swing Anko twirled on one foot and slammed the wooden door in a shocked Iruka's face. Iruka moved out of the way as the door came, threateningly, close to him. His eyes blinked repeatedly not fully understanding what just happened.

It took Iruka a few seconds to shake off the perplexed look. _'What a very sensitive cook.' _Iruka felt horrible for insulting the woman, he didn't mean anything by his words. _'Though I think if I mentioned that to the woman she'd send that very sharp knife to my throat.' _The people Sakura befriended sometimes boggled his mind beyond belief.

Anko placed her back against the closed door not daring to move her shaking hands to open the letter. _'What could it say? It has to be rather important if Pinky sent some ball buster to deliver a letter…'_

The suspense was killing the poor cook and within seconds Anko ripped open the envelope mercilessly. Her brown eyes scanned the letter franticly reading the words as if her life depended on them.

Sakura's handwriting neatly flowed across the paper effortlessly forming the necessary loops and curls from each letter.

**Dear Anko,**

**I know you're about ready to kick my ass at this point but hear me out before you decide to throw something at the wall!**

Anko chuckled lightly at Sakura's humor. "We'll see about that one Pinky." She said to herself as she walked over to her duck and hoped up on the counter, reading the rest of the letter.

**I didn't come back after the two hour break because I found out some interesting information from someone in town. Don't worry Anko I will be fine. You have been my friend since I set foot in that castle and you are the only one I can trust with my secret. I found information about my parents, I don't know if it is true or not but I need you to cover me for the next three days. I know it's before the Ball, but I really need this!**

Anko sighed and turned her head to the dead duck that laid limply beside her, waiting for the thick knife to cut away it's feathers and to begin chopping away at his meat and organs. "You're lucky I like you Sakura. You deserve this more than anyone I know."

She shrugged her shoulders while she thought back to the countless times young Sakura would cover up one of her explosive anger tantrums. Sakura made all the cooks, and even Mikoto, forget about Anko destroying the kitchen. By the time Sakura was done making them forget about her destroying the kitchen, Anko made sure to keep a close eye on her new friend.

"It's the least I can do for you Sakura…but how can I cover for you?"

**I know you're sitting on the edge of your table waiting to skin me alive, but I didn't leave you without a plan. You know me better than that. Here is what you do, tell Shizune that I came down with an unknown illness, she'll be too startled to come into the room to check and will take your word for it. Tell her I was throwing up none stop and I felt boiling hot. When the morning comes and Mikoto calls us for a food check you can tell her about my condition. Tell her that you don't know when I'll get better. No one will bother me or you. Anko, I owe you one for this and I hope you can forgive me for leaving you during the busiest times of the year.**

**Love,**

**Sakura**

Anko's eyes blinked repeatedly at the long note. "Damn…Pinky really did think about this plan didn't she? It's almost as if she expected this information to come up." She turned to her dead friend and picked him up by the neck. "Well duck looks like it's just you and me this time, your Aunt is away trying to find her parents." With a small smile Anko tossed the lifeless duck roughly against the counter top and made her way towards Shizune's office, confident that Sakura's plan would work.

Meanwhile Kakashi, Itachi, and Sasuke were making their way back to the castle in a restless walk. Kakashi couldn't believe that his daughter used to fight against the blood thirsty men in exchange to finding information about Rin. _'Look what I reduced my daughter to. I made her do the very thing I have tried to avoid!'_

Itachi couldn't get over the rising fear that gripped at his heart, his stomach twisted and curled inside his stomach. _'Sakura is fine. She was talking to the interrogator. He'll make sure she returns safely to the Castle.' _He concentrated on his silent footsteps, hoping to keep his worried mind off of Sakura; he had no reason to be feeling this way.

Sasuke followed his elder brother and Kakashi through the darkening forest. _'I can't wait to go again! Maybe I could get Sakura to consider enrolling in one of the fights!' _He side-glanced in Itachi's direction eyes narrowing suspiciously. _'I'll have to sneak her away from Itachi's radar. It is annoying how he always tries to interrupt our adventures!'_

With a disgruntled sigh Sasuke continued on with their quiet walk to the castle. The other two men on either side of him stayed completely silent, obviously lost in their own thoughts.

With a sigh Iruka shook his head in the direction of the shut door and sprinted away to Tsunade's office. _'She will not be happy about this news.' _He could see her reaction vividly in his mind. She'd slam her hands down on her desk, curse at him, try to attack him, and she would finally run to Sakura's clues. _'Let's hope Tsunade can aid Sakura.'_

Jiraiya stared at Tsunade with even eyes. "What I'm telling you is the truth Tsunade."

Tsunade shook her head vigorously side-to-side. "How could this happen? He is not good for her."

Jiraiya smiled sweetly at his old friend. "You can't choose what a heart wants to love Tsunade. You know that better than anyone."

Tsunade pressed her back against her battered chair and sighed deeply. "Fugaku will not allow that Jiraiya, it will punch Sakura back to the dark world we grabbed her out of."

Jiraiya nodded his head. He could see the worry expression cross across Tsunade's face. "Let's just watch what happens ok? Maybe the Uchiha will prove his worthiness when we least expect it."

Tsunade snorted and stuck her nose high in the air. "Yeah right. There you go back into your writer's fantasy."

"Don't be jealous Tsunade; you know you read them too." He said with a suggested wink.

Amber eyes narrowed dangerously towards the perverted man. She was about to wrap her hands around his neck but a rather loud bang on the door stopped her from doing so.

"Come in." She grunted.

Iruka slammed the door wide open and shut it behind him. Tsunade and Jiraiya eyed their loyal friend with confused eyes, watching his chest heave up and down. Iruka pushed his hood off and his eyes frantically moved between the two spies.

"You need to come with me Tsunade."

Tsunade raised a blond eye brow in the air. "Why Iruka? What's going on?" She couldn't see what was making him this frazzled.

Jiraiya stood up from his sitting position and wrapped his arm around Iruka's shoulders. "Relax Iruka; you're acting like someone is going to die."

Iruka swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "Tsunade please." He begged.

"Why do you need me to come with you?"

Taking a deep breath in Iruka collected his nerves. "Sakura saw Kabuto at the underground fights. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't hear it. She is following Kabuto as we speak. I told her to leave you a trail so you could help."

Tsunade felt her worry increase ten fold. _'This can't be happening! I told her to never follow Kabuto without a partner!'_

"When did this happen?!" Tsunade shouted as she clenched her fists and slammed them into the wooden table.

Jiraiya squeezed Iruka's shoulder, trying to hold back his worried feelings. "Lead us to where she began to follow him Iruka."

"Follow me and I'll explain everything as best as I can. We need to find Sakura's trail as soon as we can."

Iruka found himself flying out of their office, down the stairs, out the bar, and into the streets of Kohana. He knew Tsunade and Jiraiya would be worried about Sakura, but he didn't expect them to physically grab him by the collar and throw him out the door.

The three of them stormed off past the fighting, towards the woods, where Iruka assumed Sakura followed Kabuto. They stopped in front of the opening of a forest, their heads turning in every direction looking for an obscure clue that Sakura strategically placed.

Tsunade's eyes scanned the scene but there was nothing. She growled in frustration at the thickheaded student she had. "Sakura, you can't do everything on your own." She whispered to herself as she looked inside a tree trunk for a clue.

Jiraiya jumped into the trees, trying to find Sakura's scent, any rustled bushes, misplaced twigs, or missing pieces of bark. He was as empty handed as his partner that was scrambling around the ground. _'Sakura why must you do this to us? We can help you. Why do you think you can handle Orochimaru alone?' _

Iruka didn't like the disappointment that stayed present on his friends' faces. "She didn't leave any clues did she?" He asked sadly.

Tsunade snarled and slammed her foot into the ground. "Not one fucking clue!" She howled at the top of her lungs. "That brainless woman! She isn't as indestructible as she thinks she is!"

Jiraiya pulled the shaking Tsunade into a deep embrace. "Tsunade we have to trust Sakura. She is the one that has followed this case from day one. She knows more than you or I combined about it, you know that she was the right person for the job."

"You don't truly think that do you Jiraiya? I know Sakura is good, but ever since we found out that Orochimaru was thrown into this mix she hasn't been the same." Iruka said anxiously.

Tsunade swallowed the growing lump in her throat, trying to hold back the temptation to cry. "I don't know what that bastard has done to make Sakura so interested in him, but we can't do anything about it now." She gently pulled away from Jiraiya's embrace and stood up with confidence. "Sakura has decided to follow Kabuto and we have three days before Orochimaru storms the castle. We will trust Sakura's judgment and go along with any hidden plans she has made."

Jiraiya nodded his head confidently. _'If there was anyone that could make this disaster turn into something good, it would be Sakura.' _He smirked at the forest opening imagining the pink haired woman following the clueless Kabuto. _'Show them no mercy Sakura.'_

Iruka noticed the growing smirk on Jiraiya's lips. _'Everyone here is rooting for you Sakura.' _He nodded his head in agreement as they collected themselves and walked back to the Uchiha Castle. _'Whatever happens now…their fate rests in your hands.'_

Sakura couldn't believe her luck! How she spotted Kabuto's speck of white hair in the crowd was beyond her, _'Years of spy training has shown its true colors tonight.' _She smirked as she expertly stayed fifty feet away from her target.

Her eyes roomed the passing trees, ground, shrubs, and animals, the ecosystem giving her clues to where she was located. Her eyes flashed to the unsuspecting Kabuto as he continued to ride his horse down the forests path. _'This is what I have been waiting for!' _For as long as Sakura remembered she pictured this moment, how she was going to kill him, make him suffer, and here she was, being lead to the man's lair.

Kabuto pushed his falling glasses up the bridge of his nose. His grand stallion plowed through the greenery for miles. _'It will only be a couple more hours before I reach Orochimaru.' _He pressed his heels into the cantering horse, making its long awaited gallop rise to life.

Sakura watched the horse raise its head high and lengthen its stride. Its hooves struck away at the ground harshly tearing up any bit of nature in its way. She increased her running speed, dodging every tree branch, twig, leaf, and any other natural plant that could give away her location. _'Kabuto is a very thorough researcher. He notices the littlest things that even I could miss.' _The fact that the horse was significantly faster than her sprinting worked into Sakura's favor. Now she was too far for Kabuto to suspect anything.

Her anxiousness coursed through her veins allowing her to follow the white haired man with ease. They ran for hours, his horse steering around any obstacle that crossed their path. Right when she thought they would never stop Kabuto pulled back on the horse's reins and came to a crashing halt.

Sakura stopped in mid-step and crouched low into the shadows watching the peculiar sight before her. _'Why is he stopping in front of the lake? The horse could trudge through it.' _Her alert eyes watched every corner of the forest, waiting tensely for an attack.

Kabuto hopped off the horse and with a slap on its ass it galloped away from its master. His grey eyes scanned the secluded area making sure no one from the fights followed him. _'Good it's all clear, now to continue on.'_

Sakura watch Kabuto make his way through the river. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon, filling the green area with orange rays. _'Shit I don't have much time to get across the river.' _

He swam to the opposite side of the wide lake and stopped in front of an open passageway. Sakura squinted in the direction, hoping to get a better look, but when his sparkly white hair disappeared into the distance she knew she had to continue to follow him.

Counting backwards from five Sakura waited patiently before she soundlessly slipped into the water and swam to the other side of the lake. Lifting herself above the water she rose to her feet and rung out her long cape. _'Leaving a water trail isn't the best idea.' _She then took her heels off and tossed them high above into a tree. _'I'll save you for later.' _

She took a few steps towards the gigantic cave that bulged out of the earth's crust. _'So this is the place.' _She felt all her pent up anger, fear, anxiety, worry, and revenge start to flow through her veins. _'The wait is finally over.' _Taking one deep breath in and out she took one shaky step towards the dark cave. _'It's now or never.' _She brought her hands to her side and confidence erased all her other emotions. _'Time to go in Sakura.' _She nodded her head to herself and with swiftness, that came from years of hard work, she entered the mysterious cave not knowing what could be on the other side.

The sun rose high above the sky, waking up every living soul that allowed the betraying rays to shine through their windows. Mikoto, Fugaku, Itachi, and Kakashi were sitting outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

"I hope it's this nice during the Ball." Mikoto said with a smile.

"How you can enjoy the Ball with the certain circumstances we are in Mikoto is amazing." Kakashi said with a happy eye crease.

Mikoto shrugged her shoulders. "I need to find happiness in something Kakashi. Otherwise life would be dull and dreary."

Itachi stared off into the distance, something felt different about him. He didn't feel like the weight of the world was bearing on his shoulders, he felt…alive. He closed his eyes as the summer breeze lightly tickled across his face. When he opened his eyes he pictured a carefree Sakura dancing around the Garden with the wind guiding her in her steps. The timeless picture made Itachi feel even more at peace.

Fugaku noticed his son's relaxed state but didn't question it. He wasn't in the mood to pick a fight with his son and besides he was still bent on revenge for what the pink haired servant did. _'That wench will pay for making me look like a fool in front of Sasuke.' _The only problem was, was that he couldn't find her. _'I looked last night but it's as if she vanished.' _The more he thought about that idea the better it sounded. _'Don't I wish that could happen?'_

"Kakashi can you grab me that bell? I need to call on Sakura and speak to her about a few things."

Itachi turned from his dazed position, now fully alert. The idea that he could see her face again made him excited. _'Why am I this happy to see her?' _He still couldn't figure out the deep rooted feelings that he discovered.

Kakashi nodded his head and placed the medium sized bell in Mikoto's small hands. It would be a refresher to see his daughter after last night; his wouldn't have to worry anymore.

With a flick of her wrist the bell's sweet tone echoed across the area. The Queen sat there expecting to see her favorite pink haired servant to come jogging around the corner with an angelic smile on her face. What she didn't expect, however, was Anko to be the one that answered the bell.

"Anko." Mikoto said surprisingly as she stood on her feet. "Where is Sakura?"

Itachi felt the same gut feeling resurface when the zealous cook was before him instead of Sakura. Kakashi didn't like the vibe he was sensing from the strange cook, something wasn't right.

Anko bowed to Mikoto and stared every person dead in the eyes. "She will not be able to be at your service."

Mikoto was confused. "What are you talking about Anko? Of course she will be. I'm her employer." Mikoto never liked to consider herself as Sakura's employer but if her cook wasn't giving Sakura back she would make her.

Anko sighed at the Queen's snippy voice. "She's sick Queen. She came home with a grueling cough, her skin was burning, and she kept hurling chunks the size of tulips for Christ's sakes!"

Anko studied everyone's reaction; the favored Knight shifted restlessly in his seat while Fugaku smirked at the mention of Sakura's misfortune. _'I never did like that man.' _She turned her attention to the older prince to see him stiffer than usual. _'Well that's odd…' _She turned her attention to the Queen who almost fell to the ground in shock.

Mikoto caught herself before her legs gave out from underneath her. "I need to see her." She said as she hurriedly walked towards Sakura's room.

Anko grabbed Mikoto's arm tightly and spun her around back to her original position. "I will not allow you to get sick Queen." Her demand made Mikoto unable to move from her spot. "Shizune has made the servant's room off limits. Sakura could have the plague for all we know. If anyone comes in contact with her we could all die."

Mikoto debated with herself about the situation. On one hand she could dash into Sakura's room and keep her company, if it was Sakura's last breaths then it would be hers too. When she looked at her son she couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving him and Sasuke with their father. _'They would surely go crazy.' _

Anko was shocked that Mikoto didn't test her on her demand. "You're right Anko. Please inform me on her condition as soon as Shizune is allowed to go in there."

Kakashi, Itachi, Fugaku, and Anko watched the sad Queen emotionlessly walk back inside the castle, calling servants to bring her three different types of silverware.

'_I need to get my mind off of Sakura.' _Mikoto thought sadly as she allowed herself to be swept away by her servants. Not being able to tend to Sakura left her feeling helpless and shameful. Who would have thought Sakura brought Mikoto so much excitement in her daily life?

Fugaku grunted, breaking the tense atmosphere that surrounded him. "It's about time." Was all he said as he pushed his chair out and made his way to his chambers.

"When did she start these…symptoms?" Kakashi asked, trying to piece together what illness Sakura had.

Anko shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows, Sakura likes to hide everything from everyone until the last possible moment."

Kakashi nodded at Anko's comment. _'She is right. Sakura doesn't like to bother anyone unless she absolutely has to.'_

"Will you allow me to follow you down to her chamber then?" Kakashi asked.

Anko strongly shook her head. "No. Shizune's orders."

Kakashi didn't say anything and jumped over the banister. "Thank you Anko." Without another word Kakashi sprinted off into the distance leaving the two people in the dust.

Anko looked at the remaining royal, purely confused. He sat in his seat, unmoving, his facial expressions were set in a hard line as he tried to control whatever emotion that was coming over him. _'What a weird prince.' _Anko didn't think anything of it and turned her back on the strange man.

Itachi didn't know what to do. For the first time in his life he couldn't think of a plan. _'She's…sick?' _He couldn't see it, it didn't make sense! _'She was fine last night! She was smiling, laughing, threatening, everything normal for Sakura. She can't be sick.' _He couldn't just believe Anko's words, he needed something tangible. He needed to see her sprawled out in her straw bed, sweating like a pig, swearing at her predicament. Only then would he believe Anko's words.

He jumped to his feet and ran down the familiar corridors, passing the backdoor, passing their closet, passing the very hallway where he first met the mysterious woman. Everywhere he looked he saw Sakura's face. Now, more than ever, he couldn't get her out of his head. If she was as sick as Anko described he didn't want her out of his head. He wanted to remember her spitfire attitude, her smell, her taste, her touch, her spirit filled eyes…everything.

Anko was about to turn into her kitchen when she heard footsteps racing down the hallway. _'What in the world?' _She turned around on her heel to see Itachi running to the servant's quarters. _'Oh fuck no!' _Anko growled loudly and chased after, the apparently very thick, Uchiha.

He was inches away from her door. _'Just one more step.' _His heart jumped out of his chest at the relief he felt when his hand reached the cold metal. He grasped the knob tightly bracing himself to see a barley alive Sakura in the room. He pressed his body forward, using the extra weight to open the door more freely. When he heard the door open a crack he suddenly was thrown across the floor. Itachi jumped to his feet, eyes blazing red, at the person that dared to stop him.

"Don't you fucking princes listen?" Anko growled out as she quietly shut Sakura's door. She turned and glared at the angry Uchiha before her. "Respect what Shizune says and stay the fuck away from Sakura."

Itachi snarled at Anko, baring his teeth at her. The strong action surprised him, and Anko, but he didn't back down. Anko didn't see him even take a step towards her and before she knew it her back was pushed against the wall and a very large, strong, hand was wrapped around her throat.

"You will let me in that room." He voice growled out demandingly.

Anko ignored the hand that was beginning to restrict her airways. "Over my dead body Uchiha." She said as she spit in his face.

Itachi tightened his hold on her neck and flipped her over onto the ground. He lowered himself over her and used his hands to grab her fidgeting ones, pinning them above her. He placed his knees next to her as he stared at Anko with a murderous stare.

"I could arrange that." He stated coldly, tightening his hold a little more to prove his point.

'_What is wrong with this guy?' _Anko tilted her head to the side as she studied the young boy that towered over her. His angered eyes and urgent voice told her more then she wanted to know.

Itachi watched the older woman carefully. Her brown eyes widened significantly and then a smirk crawled across her lips.

"Well, well…and here I thought you were too much of an ice cube to feel anything."

Itachi loosened his hold on Anko's throat, perplexed by her words. _'What is she talking about?'_

Anko took his silence as an automatic yes. _'Why didn't Sakura tell me she had a handsome Prince after her?' _She eyed the man quickly as an approving smile stretched from cheek to cheek. _'He is quite the hot one too.'_

"You can't sit here and possibly tell me you have no fucking clue what I'm talking about."

Itachi made no move to answer her. He watched the crazy cook spill her thoughts to him. _'Why do I seem to find the strangest servants?'_

Anko sighed. "You like her don't you?"

Itachi jumped away from the cook, putting distance between the dangerous woman. "You're a very blunt cook to assume something like that." He said coldly as he stood up straight.

Anko jumped to her feet and laughed out loud. "You're pulling my balls right?" Her continued laughing pushed Itachi to the edge.

'_How can Sakura put up with this woman?'_

"Let me spell it out for your slow brain there Uchiha." She walked to Sakura's room and placed her back against it. "You. Like. Sakura." She finished off with an all knowing grin.

Itachi narrowed his eyes at Anko's assumption. _'Is…is that what this is?' _He pulled his eyes away to look at the door Anko placed herself against. As he tried to imagine what was on the other side of it, he felt his heart clench at the very thought of Sakura taking her last breath. His muscles screamed at him to break down the door and carry Sakura away to a place that could give her the help she needed. Where he and she couldn't be watched by anyone, everything would be peaceful. The thought of them alone together was a nice one, but Itachi knew that Sakura was not one to get sick easily.

Anko looked at the confused prince sadly. _'He's such a confused little runt.' _

"You see how you're worried about her?" Anko pointed out, she looked behind her and smiled at the door. "You might be able to fool everyone, but Uchiha, I've been around the block and I've seen those looks before."

Itachi flinched when Anko snaked her slender arm around his shoulder. He didn't want her to touch him; she didn't send the desired sparks that would come from another petite arm.

Anko chuckled as she felt him twitch under her arm. "Come on Uchiha. Let me break it down for you. You came running down to her room wanting physical proof right?"

Itachi remained as emotionless as possible, his eyes jolting to the door every now and again. His brain yelling at him to get the cook as far away from him as possible, her touch didn't feel right. As she continued to assess his reactions he decided to listen to her. _'She might be able to give me more answers about these feelings.'_

"You wanted evidence that would prove little Pinky over there wasn't as sick as I said right?" She watched the human ice cube do nothing. "How Sakura can put up with your lack of emotions is beyond me." She side commented as his lack of answers made her angry.

"But anyways, Uchiha use that maggot sized brain of yours. You like the crazy bitch. She makes you guess everything she does, she's unpredictable…trust me I know how you feel I've known her since she was seven. And I still can't figure her out sometimes!"

She removed her arm, much to Itachi's enjoyment, but turned him around to face her. "Don't think I didn't notice Uchiha. I know Sakura like the back of my hand, when she started to defend your ass I knew something was up. Let me fill you in on a secret Uchiha." She pulled the six foot man towards her and wrapped her hand around his fur collar. "If you so much as pull a hair off of Sakura's head…" She reached into her side pocket and ghostly grazed Itachi's penis with the edge. "…I will castrate you and when you wake up I'll leave the detached member on your pillow. Think of it as a life long reminder."

Itachi pushed the twisted woman away from him. He never felt his manhood so threatened in his life, but he would be damned if he gave Anko the satisfaction of knowing that.

Anko laughed loudly, her evil cackle bouncing off the walls, and she twirled her butcher's knife back into her pants. "Just remember what I said Uchiha." She sang as she turned her back to him. "You will have to trust me. She's a fighter this sickness won't get her down. Just give her time."

Itachi was about to comment on Anko's words, but the woman was already walking down the hallway. Itachi turned back around to face Sakura's door, his body desperately wanting to break down the door and gather the sick woman in his arms, but his brain told him otherwise. _'Is this what caring for someone feels like?' _He placed his frustrated fists at his sides as he studied the wood work of the door. _'Every time I see her, touch her, smell her…everything changes. She riles my emotions; she effortlessly brings them to life. Years of Father's training went flying out the window once I met her.'_

Itachi averted his eyes away from the door and began walking down deserted hallways desperately finding something to distract himself with. _'No one, not even my own Mother, has gotten as close to me as Sakura has. I can't picture me with anyone else…' _His eyes squeezed shut as the image of Sakura in the arms of another man flashed in his mind. _'…and she doesn't belong with any other man.' _It was in that split moment that Itachi felt his heart beat faster as every moment he spent with Sakura replayed over and over in his mind. Maybe the twisted cook was right…maybe he had fallen in love with the crazy servant. _'If that's the case, then I will make sure she is mine.' _His determination ran wild inside him as his mind thought of twisted and complex ways to figure out how he could make Sakura his. Forever.

Kakashi didn't look back as he sprinted up the all too familiar hill. His mind came up with theories of what really happened to Sakura. _'She was perfectly fine when I saw her…' _His feet came to a sliding halt as the rusted iron gates came into his view.

With a respected bow he tenderly opened the gate ajar and soundlessly walked across the dirt path. He passed many stones carved with names of citizens. His feet automatically carried him towards his daily praying place. With a limp plop to the ground Kakashi eyed the stone in front of him, his head bowed low, while his hands rested on top of some fresh flowers.

'_I don't know what to do Rin.' _He took a deep sigh as he continued to talk to his deceased wife. _'I want to believe that Sakura is sick…but my gut is telling me that, that isn't the case. It seems too simple for her to get sick. Just last night she was threatening to behead a man.' _A low chuckle escaped his lips as he moved to sit on his butt. _'It's amazing how much she has grown Rin, but at the same time, I feel as if she's hiding something. I know I'm silly for even thinking this…but…everything seems to fit too perfectly in place.' _

He removed his hands from the flowers and pulled one of his knees towards him. _'I wonder how many times she visits you Rin; just by watching her I can tell she misses you greatly.' _Another slow sigh seeped from his mouth. _'I learned something else today to Rin…I think Mikoto's son has a little crush on Sakura.' _At the reality of his words Kakashi let out a full hearted laugh. _'It is quite amazing how your daughter manages to find trouble and how it willingly follows her everywhere. We'll see what happens with this crush Itachi has on her…it reminds me of us Rin. Maybe Sakura will choose what you did?' _He snorted at his thought knowing full well that Sakura would rather kill herself than be a Princess.

'_We'll just have to wait and see.' _His smile slowly disappeared from his lips and he began to recite his typical prayers to the sky above. _'Wherever you are Sakura my spirit is with you.'_

When Sakura quietly made her way into the dark cave there was an endless supply of twisted hallways and dead ends. _'Where did that snake go?' _She scanned the cave looking for any scuffle marks or clues to which direction Kabuto went. She knelt down to the ground and studied the positions of the rocks. _'Ah ha!' _Her excitement grew when a collection of rocks were stacked up suspiciously. _'Follow the yellow brick road.' _She said to herself as her bare feet glided against the icy cold stones.

Rock wall after rock wall Sakura scaled her way lower and lower into the dark abyss of Orochimaru's lair. _'Where did that little fucker go?!' _Right when she was about to pull her hair out in frustration she heard voices coming her way. _'Shit! Gotta hide!' _She looked above to see several wooden beams that held lamp fixtures on the ceiling. _'Perfect!' _With a jump Sakura grabbed onto the beam and made her way into a corner.

"I don't think you should bother him now Sir Kabuto." Sakura heard a shaky voice call out.

Hurried footsteps echoed down the hall after another set of confident ones. "I will speak to Orochimaru when I need to. Now go away and quit following me."

Sakura observed from above as Kabuto pushed the timid teenaged boy out of his way. "This is a matter that you can not understand."

Kabuto didn't look back at the scared boy and continued to the other end of the hallway. Sakura followed Kabuto from above using the wooden beams as her stepping stones. Every placing of her foot, every bend, and every step was placed carefully. She couldn't afford Kabuto discovering her location.

Her steps came to an end when Kabuto stopped in front of a door and slammed it behind him. A snarl emitted from deep in her throat at the obstacle that stood in her way. _'How can I get in there?' _

First she looked for any cracks in walls in the ceiling. _'A crack would help me be able to see what is going on.' _She then lowered herself to the ground when she found nothing. _'There has to be another way in…' _She scanned the floor to see a small rectangular iron vent below her. _'Perfect!' _Getting down on her knees she steadily lifted the heavy iron and lowered her legs in it.

Feet waved around looking for something to step on. The door from behind her started to jiggle, making Sakura hurriedly grab the heavy vent and carelessly drop herself into the unknown room.

"Ump!" Sakura grunted as her body slammed down onto the ground.

'_That was a higher drop than I thought.' _She placed her arms out underneath herself pushing her body into a pushup position. _'Ewe what is this?' _

She opened her eyes to see her hands sliding across a cool liquid. She squinted at the fluid that made a pool across the floor, but she couldn't see through the darkened room.

Her head lowered down to the unknown substance and sniffed it. Her nostrils were filled with a metallic foul smell. Surprised by the appalling smell Sakura jumped to her feet and took two hurried steps backwards. _'What is this place?!'_

Her bare feet slid on the same substance, she tried to grip her toes onto the stone, not caring that the fluid would cover her feet. She turned around on the balls of her feet just in time to dodge a stone stable. _'That was close.' _She searched around the room, trying to find some source of light. She caught sight of a drape covering something against the wall closest to her. _'Maybe there is a window!'_

Her stained hands moved towards the drapery over the mysterious object. With little patience Sakura jerked the cloth away from its resting place. The drape revealed a window with iron bars. The moonlight leaked through the window lighting up the room for Sakura to see.

The floor was covered in blood; nothing was left uncovered by the liquid. The walls were covered in blood stains, making red the only color in the death smelling room. She looked down at her shaking hands; she turned her wrists in a circular motion as she studied the dripping substance that traveled down her arm, into her cloak's sleeve. _'This is staining my cloak.' _She thought bitterly as she used the moon's light to walk over to a lone cloth on one of the stone tables.

She carefully walked to the table, making sure not to slip on any more blood. _'There we go all better.' _She thought happily as she reached for the rag and wiped her hands.

Once she finished she tossed the rag over her shoulder. She expected the rag to make a smooth sound when it hit the stone table, but instead, it made a plopping noise. _'What the…?' _

Sakura turned around only to face to face with the same rag floating in a person's opened stomach. She inched closer to the corpse that manifested on the stone table.

The corpse rotting smell entered her nose; the horrid smell was unbearable, making Sakura bring her sleeve up to her nose. The poor soul had its skin peeled away in random locations, the stomach, legs, face, basically any part that the dissector wanted to skin. Their ribs were pulled away from the sternum, sticking out in the air. The acids from the stomach were swirling around the opened area.

'_By the looks of it…he was killed just recently.' _She briefly noted the collection of blood that swirled around the gruesome area.

Her eyes scaled up from his chest towards his neck. Puncture holes were placed on both sides of the trachea. _'Looks like a wound a pitchfork could make.' _

Being a little bit curious, and bold, Sakura continued to study the carcass. She was greeted with a deep gash under the chin a limp pink muscle sticking out of the man made hole. _'It's that…is that a tongue?!' _Sakura grabbed the dried up muscle and moved it up and down. _'Ah! It is!' _She dropped the tongue down immediately before a sense of nausea came.

'_Do not throw up Sakura, do not throw up!' _She told herself. She couldn't breathe enough as it is, to add her vomit into the smell was out of the question.

Moving away from the tongue she studied the face. _'Maybe it could give me a clue to who it is.' _Her hope was short lived, however. The nose was bashed in towards the skull while pieces of ear cartilage was cut off and sprinkled around his body. His eyes or lack there of, sent a shiver up her spine. One eye dangled out of its socket while the other one was placed in the center of the opened mouth. The opened mouth no longer possessed the teeth.

She backed away from the table and tried to get away from the body. _'Where did the teeth go?' _Her question was answered when she stepped on a sharp object.

'_Ouch! My god!' _She lifted her foot up to see a yellow tooth resting on the ground. She slowly looked around the floor to see the missing teeth scattered on the floor.

She ran to the other end of the room trying to get away from the entire display. She stopped mid step trying to catch her breath. _'This is murder!' _

Every table had some sort of human flesh separated from its host. Intestines were gutted out of stomachs; some were stretched across the room, while others were coiled together and tossed aside. Fingers, toes, teeth, hair, and any other little ligaments littered the ground with the new blood and dried up blood. The conjoined items moved towards the small drain in the center of the room, the only known drainage Sakura could find in the ten foot room. Legs, arms, and torsos were tied to the ceiling. Their withering limbs swung helplessly back and forth making the whole place look worse than a animal slaughter house.

'_I need to get the hell out of here!' _Sakura picked up her foot when something warm dripped down her hood and onto her collar bone. _'Oh no…' _She stood frozen as she watched the red liquid slide down her body, her legs, and her feet, to the floor to join the collection pooling around her.

"P-Please! I-It wasn't m-m-my fault!" Sakura heard a voice scream from above.

She braced herself for whatever horrid sight would await her as she looked up at a four foot wide vent above her. _'He's torturing him!' _Sakura watched as the man's blood slithered towards the iron bars and started to rain down on her. _'Oh hell no! I'm getting the fuck out of the way!' _She jumped from underneath the vent and stood in the darkness, waiting to hear more of the conversation.

Kabuto flung Orochimaru's door wide open not caring that he walked in on his master's torture.

"You are a very good liar." Orochimaru hissed in the man's ear as his knife twisted into the man's shoulder.

The rogue shuttered as the knife was pressed deeper into his flesh. "N-N-No! They h-had s-some k-k-killing machine o-on their s-s-side!"

Orochimaru grunted and pulled the knife through the bone, muscles, tendons, and ligaments that hindered the knife's ability to slice the arm off.

"OUUCHHH!" The man howled in pain as he felt the knife rip through his shoulder. The scream echoed off the walls down the vent to Sakura's ears. She heard the sick popping noise that followed the man's scream.

"Orochimaru." Kabuto's voice sliced through the atmosphere.

Orochimaru pulled the man's arm off and threw it towards the iron vent carelessly. The blood poured out of the shuttering man who started to convulse as vomit filled his mouth.

His vomit mixed together with the blood as the grueling mixture traveled downward to the iron vent. Sakura tightened her sleeve against her mouth as the new smell entered the room.

"Kabuto." He turned around smiling sinisterly at his partner. He brought the knife to his parted lips, allowing his tongue to glide over the fresh blood. "I thought I told you to not disturb me while I am working?"

Sakura bit her lip as the arm flew down onto the bars, the forearm and fingers wiggling towards Sakura. _'And I thought I was merciless?' _She tuned out the distracting arm as she concentrated on the conversation.

Kabuto nodded his head and bowed respectfully. "I know Master Orochimaru, but I have some breaking news that I thought you'd like to hear."

Orochimaru lifted his violet purple cloak from his neck and threw the bloody garment on the ground. His black vest, with white long sleeves, glistened in the light. "Well why don't you share?" He flipped his, now clean, knife from his mouth and slipped it into his holster strapped against his tan breeches.

Kabuto took the taping of his leather boots as an impatient sign. "Word is that the killing machine that the Uchiha's have is not part of Fugaku's branch at all."

Orochimaru nodded his head at the new information, his long black hair fanning around him. "If that is so, then where does this killing machine belong?"

"One of your old colleagues took the lad in."

Orochimaru perked up at the interesting fact. "Tsunade and Jiraiya? But they are simply spies. They couldn't possibly have trained a killer."

"Maybe they learned from someone else?"

"I've known those two for a long time. If they indeed have someone that is this lethal, and have managed to keep himself from me, then this boy is a gem. I think this boy would be a fine collection to our army."

Sakura shivered as the man hissed those words. _'Over my dead body!'_

Kabuto nodded his head. "We have two days till we invade that castle Master. Do you think we are ready?"

Orochimaru turned on the heel of his boot and looked at his wall filled with escape routes, secret entrances, and weak points of the Uchiha castle. "We are more than ready Kabuto. The Uchiha's think that I'm coming to kill Fugaku. They do not expect me to want to take their precious son instead. While they are to busy watching Fugaku they won't even see me coming."

"I don't see what you could possibly want with that little Uchiha squirt."

Kabuto's back went slamming against the rough stone wall. Orochimaru's tongue flickered around Kabuto's pressure points on his neck as his body hovered over Kabuto's.

"He is just the type that you can persuade and brainwash to do anything. When I get my hands on him, I will make him make me King! Then I will send him from Kingdom to Kingdom with our army. The Uchiha's are a very menacing family. The royals will listen…and in turn…."

"They will make you ruler of all Fire Country." Kabuto finished as he gulped at Orochimaru's lingering fingers.

"Precisely." He said as he dropped Kabuto on the ground.

Sakura's mouth dropped to the floor. _'Oh no! He expected us to know about him from the very beginning! He's not after Fugaku at all! I have to warn Tsunade!'_

Kabuto picked himself off the ground only to see Orochimaru return to his "interrogating".

"Now I'll ask you one more time." Orochimaru leaned down to the terrified man as he rubbed his cheeks with his bloody hands. "Who is this killing machine?"

"I-I D-DON'T K-KNOW!"

Orochimaru tisk-ed softly and shook his head disappointedly. "Wrong answer."

"N-No! P-PLEA…" The poor lad didn't get to finish his sentence for a sharp blade was rammed into center of his throat.

Orochimaru pressed his beloved sword through the neck until its gleaming tip could be seen from the other side of the neck. Kabuto watched his master effortlessly pulled the head to one side and send it rolling down to the vent.

"Follow me Kabuto. There is a job that needs your attention."

Sakura followed their moving footsteps, trying to ignore the way the man's face turned over to look down at the room below, his eyes opened wide. Their footsteps echoed through the floor until she reached a staircase. _'I need to follow them; they might reveal more of their plan.' _She determinedly pounced up the steps until she heard the door at the top begin to crack open. _'Shit!'_

She jumped off the few steps that she climbed and hid underneath the closest table. The way the moon shined down on the room made Sakura's table halfway covered in shadows. _'Perfect.' _She thought with a smile.

"Why are we down here Orochimaru? Normally all the carcasses are dissected here."

"Just follow me."

Two sets of feet walked by Sakura and towards the door on the side of her. _'What could possibly be in there?' _

Orochimaru reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a metal key. "I need you to do what you do best Kabuto."

Sakura felt the murderous vibe roll off of Kabuto. She slid from underneath the table and crouched down, using the shadows for coverage, as she crawled closer to the door Orochimaru opened.

"With pleasure Master." The key made the door pop open and they leisurely walked into the ambiguous dark room.

"Let me go you Snake! We had a deal!"

Sakura stopped in her spot as the familiar voice rang through her ears. She pulled her head around the opened door to see Orochimaru and Kabuto walk towards a stone table. Kabuto stood next to assorted sets of needles and drills while Orochimaru sat on a chair staring in the eyes of the angered man.

Sakura's skilled eyes looked at the angles and placing of the shadows as she crawled through the door. She needed to get a closer look. She stopped at the last shadow that could naturally conceal her. Her eyes blinked uncontrollably at the body on the table. It thrashed from side to side trying to break out of the leather straps. The leather sliced into the man's wrists and the spotless table began to turn red.

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes! The person strapped to the table was the last person she would have expected! _'I can't believe it! It's…!'_

_

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TO

BE

CONTINUED

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**Author's Note:** I hope you enjoyed it!! I know the cliff hanger is a really really bad one, but it's to keep you guessing right?! :) I'm sorry if the gory scene wasn't very gory or it was too gory for you. Everyone is different. Thanks for putting up with another long chapter!

Review please :)


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Note**_: It took a little longer that I thought, or would have liked, to get this new chapter out to you all. I'm surprised by some of the people everyone was guessing, but I won't say anything more! :) I hope you enjoy this new chapter!! Thank you everyone for your support and reviews!! They are what keep me going and give you long chapters :)

Dedicated to: xXbunnyholicXx, Hypnotized Angel, stargazing-sweetie, The Reveiwer known as Name, sodapopgirly83, minniemousemom, jjdjd, LadyPassionofHate, reader, midnightblue123, Ano, lloo161, snorkabuziaczek, Abmonkey8, XSweetXSourXSoulX, MidKnight Karina, DarkMangaIza, Ame no Uta, Em-i-lo, sleeping itasaku fangirl, nickeledwards, Shade of the Ace, narubby23, SasoLOVE111, nightwish635, nat, TeamTHEFT, and shadow miko

ENJOY!!!

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'_I can't believe it! It's Leonard!' _Her head looked back and forth between to evil smiling Orochimaru and the growling Leonard. _'Why would he be strapped here? Wasn't he Orochimaru's business partner? They are in it together…this doesn't make sense.'_

"It's great to see you too Leonard." Orochimaru hissed as a cocky smile spilled across his pale face.

Leonard grinded his teeth together and struggled against the restraints that pinned him to the table, he was desperate to punch the devious man square in the face for his betrayal. "You snake! We had a deal! We are partners! I did everything you asked me to do!"

Orochimaru walked from his corner and placed his ice cold hands on top of the stained red table. He dropped his head low to Leonard's head and his breath fanned across Leonard's face. "Oh we are, and when business partners are of no use to me anymore I kill them off."

"You think the Uchiha's won't notice that I didn't attend?! Killing me will just make them more suspicious of your game! How stupid are you?!"

"Ah, that's what you think." Orochimaru reached over Leonard's body and grabbed the closest needle and lightly traced patterns on Leonard's face. "You see, the Uchiha's hate you. They think you bring their land bad fortune. You are the one that brought Kabuto into their castle. For all they know, you are the mastermind behind everything. When they notice that you did not attend their Ball…" He raised the needle away from Leonard's' face and forcefully drove the point into his cheek.

"Ahhh!!" He screamed at the sudden stab. His eyes grew wide as he started to hyperventilate. His chest rose and fell erratically as his muscles tensed anticipating another blow t his body.

The warped man made his tongue sweep across the gaping hole, licking the blood that dripped down the man's cheek, until none was dripping out of the gaping hole. "They won't be expecting an attack, at least not one as big as they first thought. They will keep their guard up, yes, but not as highly as they should be. That will make their security have more holes. Breaking into the castle will be a simple task. No one to stop us and we have you to thank for that." He finished as he traced the side of Leonard's face lightly.

"You're not going to get away with this!" Leonard shouted as he turned his hand away and tried to bite at Orochimaru's fingers. "You think the Uchiha's will be as blind as you say they are?! They are Uchiha's for a reason!"

Orochimaru chuckled darkly while he jerked his fingers away from the biting mouth. "It makes the game more fun if they find out. Predator vs. prey Leonard. I'm the predator and they are the prey, and who always win? The predator, which means… I will be victorious."

Sakura stayed crouched low in the shadows as his evil twisted plan was revealed even more. _'I have to get out of here and tell Tsunade. Everyone is in danger!' _She waited patiently as Orochimaru gave Kabuto a nod before she tried to sneak out of the room, using the shadows as cover.

"But you, my poor boy, will never know who wins. You're body will be rotting long before then. I thank you for giving me the necessary information; you were a very valid source. But like everything in life…you've become useless to me."

Leonard's rage made his whole body shake uncontrollably. "I hope they kill you!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as he conjured up mucous in his mouth and sent it flying into Orochimaru's face. "Fugaku may be sly but you're the devil!"

Sakura's curiosity consumed her when she heard Leonard yell back at his captor. She stopped in the shadows and turned around as she heard him reach in the back of his throat and hurl a wad of spit at his torturer. _'Oh Leonard you're a dead man.' _Her heart beat accelerated when evil man smiled an innocent smile.

Orochimaru took his hand and wiped off the spit that slid down his cheek. He glared at Leonard at the table and then gave Kabuto a look. "Kabuto, your job is to experiment with this man. See which of those substances rots his flesh away with excruciating pain." He nodded at Kabuto as his eyes scanned the many acids and ores that were cluttered behind Kabuto.

Kabuto smiled mercilessly at the order. "With pleasure Orochimaru." He tightened the restraints around their captor's wrists and began combining random liquids with ores and salts.

Leonard's eyes grew as wide as sauces as he watched the other crazy man began to mix together foreign substances that even the doctors in the infirmary didn't know about. Orochimaru watched the scene for a few seconds with pure excitement. "We will be moving out by sunrise. Finish this **thing** off and quickly. We have prior engagements to attend to. It wouldn't do to be late to our own party." He turned on the back of his heel as he faced the doorway, leading himself out of the room.

His yellow eyes scanned the room before he made his way to the door. _'That shadow looks too black…'_

Sakura stood frozen in her spot as the yellow eyes looked back at her in a haunting manner. _'Fuck fuck fuck!' _She cursed at her predicament.

Kabuto saw his master stop a few feet from the door. "Something wrong Orochimaru?" He asked as he moved his prepared liquid over Leonard.

Orochimaru tilted his head to the side as he took a small step towards Sakura's shadow. His eyes narrowed as the outline of Sakura's form came into his view. He smile was whipped from his face at the realization before him. How did you get in here!" He yelled out loud as he took his leg and tried to knock Sakura down with a typical roundhouse kick.

'_SHIT! I'M CAUGHT! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!' _Sakura evaded Orochimaru's angered kick and used the turning motion to spin her body around. She heard him growl sinisterly at her move but she dashed out of the small chemical lab and jumped up to the vent.

Orochimaru watched as the morning rays shined through their revealed window, revealing Sakura's cloak every now and again as she threw open the vent, lifted her body out of the room, and away from them. _'How could a single person slip through our defenses?!'_

He turned around and glared at Kabuto. "Well don't just stand there!" Orochimaru yelled out. "Get him! He's seen too much! We must kill him!"

Kabuto jumped up from Orochimaru's angered voice, making his grip on the beaker slip, dropping the acidy substance on top of Leonard's body. "Y-Yes Orochimaru!"

"Ahhhh!!" Leonard's ear piercing scream bounced off the walls as the acid ate away at his flesh. He squirmed around as his flesh began to burn off. The skin that was still burning away made the precious tissues and nerves visible to the eating acid. The eating bacteria followed the source of the pouring blood and worked its way into Leonard's system. Within a matter of seconds the bacteria was eating away at his blood cells and antibodies.

The pain was unbearable, his wrists cut against the restraints as he tried to bat away the tiny organisms. His ear piercing cries and begs for help fell on deaf ears, he was left in the darkness to die alone, with no one to save him from the cruel fate that the devil gave him. It was only a matter of minutes before the butchering room was silent once again. His blood flowed down to the ground, joining the collection that waited impatiently for the new blood to join the family.

Orochimaru and Kabuto weren't unraveled by Leonard's screams; they were concentrating on trying to catch the sprinting Sakura before she ran through their fingers.

"How did he get in here Kabuto? No one left the primacies but you. Here I thought I trained you well enough." Orochimaru growled out as they cut down another hallway chasing after the terribly annoying intruder.

Kabuto shook his head as his chest heaved up and down by the rigorous running they were performing. _'This boy is in good shape to be running at such a pace for this long.' _He stayed in step with his master as he answered his question. "I don't know Orochimaru. I made sure no one was following me on the way in. I don't know how I could miss him…he must have slipped from under our radar."

Orochimaru took out his sword and used the handle to bash Kabuto on the back. "Apparently you have been slacking off. Remember what I told you…an overconfident person lets the littlest things slip."

"Yes Orochimaru, I know I grew over confident. It will not happen again."

"No. It will not." Orochimaru commanded as he flipped his sword back into his holster and summoned his guards to assist in the chase the slippery Sakura.

Sakura never looked back at her attackers. She could hear their conversations, their every step, their strained breathing; she knew that if she continued running she would be able to loose them. _'How could I have let him stare at me like that! I should have left when the time was right…but no I decided to stay and see what Orochimaru would do to the two timing Lord. Now here I am running for my life! Just great!' _

Orochimaru's minions stormed through every entrance to the hallways that Sakura passed. Their swords and bows were out in front of them. Sakura examined every person's stance and attitude towards her; she was determined to not die in this cold, lifeless, cave. Her two hands reached inside her cloak and pulled out two swords. _'Bring it on. Your funeral!' _She thought with a smirk as she sliced her way through the boys that blocked her path.

Orochimaru nearly smirked when he saw his army outnumber Sakura. _'They will never escape from here.' _He thought victoriously. He assumed the intruder would stop in front of the overpowering army, drop their swords, and cooperate with him. To his surprise the spy increased their stride, outstretched their iron swords, and thoughtlessly slashed through his guards' line of defense.

He examined the fighting style of the flying eavesdropper. They were ruthless, merciless, and bold. The way the swords would plunge deep into a chest for one second and then slice through a throat the next fascinated him. _'Could this be the killing machine the rogue spoke of?' _His eyebrows flared as Sakura flipped into the air and ran on top of some of the guards' heads. _'So this is Tsunade's secret weapon.' _

He turned impatiently to Kabuto, "Get me that spy!" He ordered he would have that valuable spy even if it meant he'd have to kill his whole army for him. _'That spy is a killer and able to receive information. He would be a very good addition to my team.'_

Kabuto ran faster trying to catch up. His fallen comrades littered the floor as he skipped over them. _'How can I stop this boy? He's flying through everything we throw at him! That rogue wasn't kidding…he is a killing machine.' _He looked back at his master to see a scheming glint in his eyes. _'And I'm sure Orochimaru wants him. I will do anything for Orochimaru I will catch this spy for him!'_

Kabuto looked ahead to see the final double doors that lead to the outside world above ground. An aggravated growl emitted deep from Kabuto's throat, if he didn't stop Sakura now it would be his blood that would pay for his mistake. He looked around the hallway for something to stop the spy dead in their tracts. _'Something sharp would be perfect…' _His eyes fell on one of the fallen guards. _'Perfect!' _In mid step he crouched down and grabbed the weapon of choice from the dead man's belt. _'This should do it.' _He thought with a satisfied smirk as he continued to run to the double doors.

'_I'm almost there!' _Her heart jumped for joy at the sight of the wooden door that would lead her to the light and out of the hell hole that she allowed herself to fall into. _'Just a couple more feet!' _

Kabuto watched as the spy's speed increased even more. His grey eyes narrowed at the fast man.

"Kabuto do I have to remind you what will happen to you if you don't get this spy?" Orochimaru threatened as he found them getting dangerously close to the outside world. _'You will not get away from me spy.'_

Kabuto shook his head emotionlessly at Orochimaru's threat. He had been apprenticed to the sick man long enough to know that his torture was **nothing** compared to the pain he normally inflicted on his own torture subjects down in the butcher room. "No Orochimaru, you do not."

The wooden doors flew open. The sun's yellow and orange rays filled the darkened hallways. Everyone squinted at the unwelcome light source but the chase didn't falter, their speed remained the same, and the anticipation grew even more. The forest made its way into their view, its green leaves waved gently against the breeze that danced around the area.

'_And I'm out of here! See you two scumbags in a few days.' _Sakura thought happily as she jumped up into the tree with her shoes and sprinted away from the danger.

Kabuto came to a sliding halt as the riverbank was at his feet. _'Not so fast there.' _His cleared his mind from all the distractions as his keen eyes followed the black cloak peeked through the trees sporadically. With a deep breath he raised the bow up to his chest. _'Let's see you get away from this.' _He held the front of the steel bow with his left hand. His index finger outstretched while his thumb was used as a resting place for the arrow. With a deep breath in, his chest rose high as he used his right hand to pull the menacing arrow back until his elbow was at a ninety degree angle with his back.

Orochimaru watched with an evil glint in his eyes at Kabuto's quick thinking. _'This spy is very good, but my apprentice is better. Looks like I'm the better teacher Tsunade.' _His competitive side with his old teammates resurfaced as he pictured the killing machine would go down like a fallen tree from a single, very accurate arrow.

Grey eyes watched the black appear and disappear behind tree branches with precision. Kabuto studied the rise and fall of the cloak noticing the pattern in which Sakura took her steps. _'One shot and he's down for the count.' _As the seconds were counted down in his head, he closed his eyes to settle his nerves. _'Now!' _His eyes flashed opened once he heard her foot hit another tree branch. His hand released the deadly arrow in time with the black cloak to flutter into his view. _'Got cha.' _He thought with a cheer as he saw the black train sink to the ground.

"Nicely done Kabuto." Orochimaru said as he patted Kabuto on the back. "But it's not over yet." He said as he continued to look off into the trees.

"I know. I'll give them a few seconds before I go over there and take them back into the cave. There is no telling if that boy has any more tricks up his sleeve."

Sakura heard their footsteps come a halt. _'They stopped following me…' _She felt the hairs on the back of her neck shoot up in anticipation. _'No one stops suddenly unless they have a trick…' _She strained her hearing to listen for any abnormalities in the forest but found couldn't pinpoint anything. _'Maybe it's…' _

Her thoughts were cut off as a whizzing sound cut through the tree branches. _'What the…!' _She turned her body around as she jumped into the air. Her twisted body made her shoulder come into perfect line with the incoming arrow.

The arrow sliced through the tree branches, and before Sakura could evade the flying object, the arrow pierced itself into her shoulder. _'Damn it!' _She bit her lip from screaming at the shock of the pointed object lodged into her shoulder.

She fell down on her knees leaning over in pain. _'Gahh! That was a good shot. How did he know?!' _Her senses were alert as she tried to bring herself back to her feet. Her fresh crimson blood dripped down her arm at her feet. The sight of the blood reminded Sakura of her escape from the Uchiha Castle when she was little. She jumped over those iron gates hoping to run away from her followers with more than one arrow flying at her. The thought made Sakura jump to her feet and swallow her growing pain. _'I will not stop!' _She told herself, her determination shinning in her eyes as she jumped through the air onto the next tree branch.

"We should…" Kabuto stopped his sentence when he saw the black resurrect from its resting place. _'Impossible! My aim was accurate! How can he still get up from that hit?!' _He slowly turned his head to his master, waiting for his anger to rematerialize again.

However, Orochimaru didn't scream, shout, swear, or anything. He stood in his spot and watched the black cloak disappear into the forest. Thoughts raced through his mind. His old comrade had beaten him. She had finally found something better than he did. Orochimaru took a step back from his spot and threw his head backwards up to the morning sky uncontrollable laughter bubbled up his throat.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" His evil laughter rang through the whole forest. "Ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Kabuto watched his insane teacher laugh out loud at their predicament. "Orochimaru…?"

Orochimaru stopped laughing and nodded his head happily. "Looks like you win Tsunade!" He yelled. "Your apprentice is most impressive, indeed. This makes the game even more exciting! Bring on the challenge you know I live for them!" He looked to Kabuto and wrapped an arm around Kabuto's. "We must get ready for our journey it will take all of the night to arrive at the castle." He told him as he rested his head on top of Kabuto's shoulders and led him back into their cave.

Kabuto numbly nodded his head, obediently allowing Orochimaru to drag him back to their quarters. If Orochimaru wasn't going to punish him now then he wouldn't remind him. _'I am afraid to know what is going on in that man's head right now.'_

Sakura ran through the forest for hours without stopping. Her heart pounded in her chest, her legs pounded against the tree branches, and her arm throbbed with pain. It wasn't until her legs gave out that made the exhausted woman stop dead in her tracks. _'Those ass holes!' _She allowed her body to drop from the branches and with a twist of her body she landed on all fours onto the forest floor. Her perfect placement allowed her to rest her back against the trunk of the tree. _'Why didn't I see it coming?' _She looked down at her injury, surveying the remaining piece of arrow that stuck out of her shoulder. _'Thank god I broke the ends of it when I did. Otherwise running with a whole arrow in your arm is a hard challenge to complete.'_

With a sigh the pink haired woman looked around her surroundings for a few herbs and long leaves that she recognized from a medicine book. _'All I need is a few of these…' _She knelt down to the herbs with a green stem with a green leaf that looked like a fan. She plucked them from their roots and continued to walk around the area looking for decent sized leaves. _'…and a bunch of these.' _She stood up on her tip toes as she broke off a branch filled with the gigantic leaves that she needed.

Sakura was about to sit down on the ground and tend to her wound when a lone deer come walking into her line of sight.

"Well hello there." Sakura said sweetly with a small smile on her face. "What are you doing here?"

The deer looked at the sitting Sakura and then turned his attention to the tall grass in front of him. Without another look in Sakura's direction the deer leaped through the grass, leaving a confused Sakura behind.

'_Normally deer's don't take human presence lightly. They run away in the other direction if they even smell one.' _She looked down at her pathetic state and giggled. _'I guess I don't seem that threatening.' _With her curiosity rising again, Sakura took her "medical" supplies and followed in the deer direction.

To Sakura's shock there was a giant watering hole hidden behind the tall grass. A relief sigh escaped her lips as she walked past the deer and made her own place on the edge of the riverbank.

'_Ok now to take care of this wound.' _Sakura thought with a grimace as the forgotten pain throbbed through her whole arm. _'I liked it better when I was tuning it out, but now I can't avoid it any longer.'_ Sakura unclipped her cloak and placed it behind her. _'It could get infected if I leave it in my shoulder.'_

She placed her leaves and herbs on the right of her leg as she examined the arrow embedded in her shoulder. _'If I push it out from the back I won't open any more skin than I have to.' _Before Sakura did anything she split the herbs in half by their stem and drizzled the ointment all over the leaves she would be using. She noticed a few other green herbs growing next to her and plucked them too. She mixed the two liquids together on a clean leaf. After everything was prepared she took a deep sigh to settle her nerves. Sakura used her left hand and began to push the arrow from the back of her shoulder.

"Ouuchh." Sakura said roughly as the arrow's head began to slowly poke its head out of her shoulder. _'J-Just a l-little more.' _She egged herself on the pain ripped through her body as she pushed even harder to send to arrow forward.

Her wound grew significantly as the arrow finally popped out of her shoulder. Quickly, Sakura rubbed one of her herbs into the opened wound and used a couple of leaves to make the blood clot. She sat as still as stone catching her ragged breath and watched as the blood seeped through several leaves. She changed the leaves constantly, until the blood flow subsided and the bleeding finally stopped. She looked down at her bloody arm and shook her head. _'I don't remember it hurting that much before.' _She thought with a small chuckle. _'I really amaze myself. Here I am cracking jokes when a normal person would be scared shitless about what they saw in that lair…well then again…a normal person wouldn't volunteer themselves to go within twenty feet of that place.'_

Sakura used the rest of her daylight to tend to her wound and the rest of her body. By the time the bleeding stopped and her injury was securely fastened, with leaves and branches to keep the covering in place. The sun started to set behind the horizon line casting a red and purple glow across the forest. _'It won't be long now. Just a few more hours of running and I'll be able to see the castle from the tops of the hills. I'll wait till the sun has completely set behind the horizon. It will be safer to hide in the shadows.' _

With a few hours to spare Sakura lowered her whole body into the water, washing away the blood and other grimy liquids that were on the floors in Orochimaru's lair. _'You will get what you deserve Orochimaru.' _She told herself as she dunked her cloak into the water and began washing it on a rock. _'No one deserves to live after what you did. You will not know what hit you. You may not remember who I am…but I remember you. I will avenge you mother. That is my promise. No matter what it takes I will make sure that bastard gets what is coming to him.'_

She pulled her severed cloak from the rock and tied it around her neck. _'I'm going to need some help if I'm going to let my plan work.' _She looked up at the moonlit sky and smiled at the lonely star. _'The tables have turned Orochimaru…you won't know what hit you.'_

It was the day of the Ball and everyone in Kohana was getting ready for the incoming visitors to grace the streets with their presence. Merchants and markets were placing their best items out for people to purchase. The lower classes were shoved in their segregated homes by the royal guards. Only the best could be on display for tonight. Everything had to be perfect; they needed to show that Kohana was the best Kingdom in Fire Country.

Inside the castle, servants ran around frantically trying to assemble everything to the Queen's liking. The Ball Room was immaculate. The granite floors allowed anyone that walked on them to see their reflection. The walls were a romantic red while black curtains draped down on the side of the full-sized bay windows. The chandeliers lit up the room with a gorgeous glow. Tapestries, paintings, and decorations hung from the walls in an effortless flow. Tables were placed around the dance floor with white table cloth and a candle lit in the center of every one. The band was placed on a high step, where their music could be heard from the farthest corner of the castle.

"Put seven dishes at every table. Don't forget every dish needs two forks, a knife, and they **must** each have a wine glass. The napkins must be folded in the shape of a swan and they have to be the color blue." Mikoto ordered to her servants.

Her black eyes watched them closely as they set up the tables' hurriedly. _'Nothing can go wrong tonight. Everything has to be perfect. I will not be remembered for having the Ball looking atrocious even before Orochimaru arrives.' _

"My lady where would you like the drinks?" Neil asked her.

Mikoto absently pointed to the far end of the room where two long tables were placed outside the kitchen. "There."

Neil nodded obediently as he walked over to the other servants and told them where, and how, to place the jugs of wine. Mikoto sighed and slipped out of the room. She needed a break from the work; she didn't have her favorite servant to make her feel less stressed. With a small sigh she walked down the hall to Anko's kitchen.

When she walked in she was greeted with a dozen cooks simultaneously cooking on their stoves. Anko pranced around each station yelling and criticizing each one for their sloppy job.

"Come on maggots! You think I'm an idiot?! I know when a duck is well done or when it's still alive! Get your asses moving! We don't have all day!"

The cooks grumbled at the bossy Anko but bit their tongues from saying anything. They saw what happened last time to a brave cook that decided to speak out against Anko. He ended up in Shizune's office where he has to be bedridden for the next three weeks.

Mikoto smiled a small smile at the bossy cook. _'I knew Anko was a right choice to put in charge...'_

Anko turned away from the cooks to see Mikoto standing in her deep blue gown patiently waiting for her attention. "I'm sorry Queen. These cooks are thick headed." She grunted out.

Mikoto nodded her head. "I understand Anko. It's fine. We are all stressed for tonight."

Anko nodded her head and took Mikoto's silent inch to the door as the signal to follow her. She turned to her still cooking cooks and whistled to get their attention.

"Listen up maggots! I'll be back in a second. If ANY of you interrupt me I will **personally** make sure you do not have a job the next morning."

Her order had every cook shiver in fright. Mikoto simply shook her head at the outspoken woman and continued to walk down the hall down to the servant's quarters. Anko followed the Queen with light steps as they reached Sakura's door.

"How do you think she's doing?" Mikoto asked softly as she rested a sad hand on the door, creasing the wood work inattentively.

It had only been two days since Sakura's illness and Shizune still was not allowed to enter her room. Shizune tried to convince the Uchiha's that Sakura's condition was a lost cause. Any patient that was ill and could not be seen for two days, going on three, was label dead. Mikoto argued with the doctor and said to have faith in Sakura. Fugaku tried to make his wife see that the "trash" wasn't worth keeping, but Itachi stepped into the conversation and stated that they were going to keep Sakura until it was certain that she was dead. After his shocking, and bold, demand no one questioned Sakura's illness again. Truthfully no one in the castle wanted to give up on the young woman.

Anko knew that Sakura's illness was especially hard on Mikoto. "I'm sure she is doing just fine Queen. Sakura's a fighter."

Mikoto nodded her head slowly. "You're right Anko, I don't know what I would do if anything horrible happened to her." She swallowed down her sorrow and shook her head vigorously. "For the past couple of days I've come to realize something."

Anko raised an eye brow at the Queen as her forehead rested against the door. "And what's that Queen?"

"Sakura is the life in this castle. She brings out life I've never knew could exist. The staff loves her, you love her…even I love her. I know it's unfit for a Queen to be as attached to their servants as I am…but Sakura is different. " She turned from the door and looked at Anko. "You know how different she was. From day one I knew I had a genuine girl." She closed her eyes and whipped the lone tear that escaped under her eye lash. "I have to find her parents for her."

Anko swallowed down her uncomfortable feeling. _'I'm not supposed to tell Mikoto that, that is where Sakura went.' _

"What does that have to do with anything? Sakura has done fine without her parents why would she need them now?"

Mikoto's shoulders slouched as she took a shaky breath in. "She has been without a family since she was seven Anko. I can't imagine a life without my family. I don't think even you can deny that you could either. Sakura…is one of the strongest women I have met and at such a young age too. She's done a lot for me, for this family, for the Kingdom the least I could do for her is give her a piece of mind. I could give her some information about them. Then maybe I can negotiate with them…"

"Negotiate what exactly?" Anko interrupted the Queen not understanding why the Queen would have to negotiate.

Mikoto looked around them making sure that they were truly alone. "I don't know if you have noticed it Anko…but Itachi…he seems rather attached to Sakura."

Anko had to bite her tongue to keep herself from cracking up in laughter before the Queen. Mikoto noticed Anko's chocked reaction and narrowed her eyes at her. "So you have noticed?"

Anko let go of her lip and her laughter bubbled to the surface. "Oh Queen I noticed it since day one! Ha, ha, ha! Your son thinks he's sonic about the whole ordeal…but in reality it's truly noticeable."

Mikoto tilted her head to the side in confusion. "I just thought his interest in Sakura was because she was different from the rest of the servants. He has always liked a challenge since he was born, and Sakura sparked that."

Anko nodded her head in agreement. "Yes Queen, that is true, but it comes a time when the two maggots find out that they suddenly have feelings for each other."

Mikoto let out a smile. "Then you know why I would ask her parents to stay with us."

Anko took Mikoto under her arm. "Queen I think Sakura wouldn't want to go anywhere else even if she did find her parents. She is too comfortable here, and besides, I think if she went anywhere else no one would put up with the shit she puts us through."

Mikoto nodded her head happily. "Yes. You are right Anko. I can only imagine a castle ran by Sakura." The thought made Anko and Mikoto laugh full-heartedly. The image of a rowdy Sakura yelling at the officials in a dress with her foul tongue was a comical sight. "Thank you Anko." She finished with a grateful nod of her head.

"No problem Queen. But if you'd excuse me I have to make sure none of those dip-shits brunt down my kitchen! Good luck tonight!" Anko called as she removed her arm from Mikoto and jogged back to the kitchen.

Mikoto watched her fiery cook run back to her territory. _'I'll need all the luck I can get.' _She thought as she took one more look at Sakura's door before she returned to her decorating.

While the women transformed the food and the home to be as amazing is it possibly could, the men were outside training one more time.

"One more time Itachi." Kakashi said as he drew his sword for the last time. Itachi nodded his head as he sent his tired body towards the respected Knight.

They trained morning, noon, and night for the past two days. Kakashi wanted to make sure that Itachi's skills were as polished as they could get. Orochimaru was a slippery, and a very tricky, man. He never played by the rules and he'd stop at nothing to get what he wanted. After their training sessions Itachi and Sasuke would converse with their father on escape strategies, secret compartments, and courses of action when Orochimaru showed his face in the castle. It never hurt to be too prepared for an attack that they knew was coming.

Sasuke spent most of his days harassing Anko about the sick Sakura. He asked constantly if she was ok or if she came out of the room. Most of the time Anko would insult him, scream for him to get away from her, and then kick him out, whenever that would happen he would walk around the Gardens and spare with himself. He taught himself the move Sakura preformed on his Dad and when she got better he would show her his progress.

Itachi would wait till everyone was in bed before he would make his way down to Sakura's room. Several times he debating with himself to smash open the door to make sure she was in the room. The room was too quiet for a person as sick as Sakura. Within the two days, however, Itachi found himself closing himself off to everyone, more than usual. He rarely said a word, nodded his head, or showed some type of sign that he understood what was being said to him. Mikoto worried that Itachi receded back to his empty shell, the obedient son Fugaku strived to make his two songs. Everyone noticed his change in behavior, or lack there of, but they didn't dare to ask him about it.

Kakashi swamped himself with extra work, not allowing any alone time to himself. That would lead to over-thinking Sakura's condition. He knew she wasn't sick, it was obvious, but he couldn't figure out where else she would have gone and why she would leave. Working was the only way Kakashi knew how to deal with the conflicted emotions that he held deep inside for his missing daughter. It was exactly how he distracted himself from Rin's death, work, work, and more work.

"I think we should rest Itachi." Kakashi said as the elder Uchiha struck his beloved sword out of his hand. "We have to conserve our energy for the fight tonight."

Itachi said nothing as he picked up Kakashi's sword and gave it back to him. _'Tonight is the night Orochimaru storms the castle. What he will do…is a mystery but we will be ready for him.'_

"We better go inside. I'm sure Mikoto wants you and Sasuke to get ready." Kakashi said.

Itachi followed their family friend into the castle and up the spiraling staircase to Mikoto's room. He watched his mother come out of her closet and shove both himself and the awaiting Sasuke into the gigantic washroom.

"Kakashi you better go home and get dressed as well! We don't have much time! The sun is already vanishing."

Kakashi gave Mikoto an eye crease before he bowed respectfully and made his way to his headquarters. _'The Ball will be starting soon. All our planning and precautions will be tested on this one night.' _He looked out his window to see Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka walking through the cobblestone streets to the lit up Castle. _'They haven't heard anything from their apprentice…I wonder if everything is ok.' _He tied his vest closed as he grabbed his sword and sheathed it around his waist. _'Now is not the time to think about that. We have bigger things to worry about tonight.' _He said as he looked up at the night sky with an unreadable expression.

The night sent its shadows over Kohana as the streets were filled with carriages from all over the Fire Country. Royal families from all over the country came to the Summer Ball as a celebration for new life and the start of crop season, which according to the Kings, meant a big profit.

The guests were shown around the Uchiha Castle and lead to the red Ball Room. Men and women danced with each other while their children ran around the granite floors, slipping and sliding across it, each trying to catch one another. Servants went from table to table filling up glasses, refilling dishes, and pampering every royal that came in their sight. The room was filled with beautifully played music that made everyone in a happy mood.

Fugaku and Mikoto stood at the entrance of the Ball Room greeting every face that walked into their home. Fugaku wore a flattering blue vest with a black undershirt with long sleeves. His white beeches were tucked into his knee high boots as his King robe wrapped around his neck, swaying in the way he walked with the Uchiha crest proudly embroidered on the back. Mikoto wore a very slimming, elegant, red dress that flowed down the floor. Her long sleeves had slits at the end with pearl buttons clasping the two folds together. Her Uchiha symbol was beaded masterfully with colored gems on her back, matching the colors of her family crest.

"Good evening." Fugaku said as he firmly shook the male figure of the family.

"It's great that you could make it Jenna." Mikoto said as she took the wife and kissed her on each side of the cheek.

Jenna nodded her head with a smile on her face. "Thank you Mikoto. You did a lovely job with the place. You always have great taste."

Mikoto nodded her head and thanked the woman. "Please enjoy yourself."

Fugaku looked at his wife and sneakily snaked one arm around her waist. He brought his lips to her cheek, kissing her softly. "You look ravishing tonight."

Mikoto giggled lightly at her husband's affections. "Fugaku you must keep your hands to yourself. It is unprofessional."

Fugaku brought his wife closer to him. "I can do what I want with my wife. That is not unprofessional."

Mikoto was about to comment on his very vague request when she saw Shaya, Ken, and their two trouble making daughters walk towards them. "Fugaku." Her sharp voice cut through his playful tone when he saw the annoying family.

"Welcome Ken." Fugaku said as he outstretched his hand.

"Nice to see you again Fugaku. Let's hope my daughters don't make such a scene this time." Ken said as he eyed his two daughters' cautiously.

Mikoto flashed Shaya a fake smile. "Hello Shaya. Nice to see you again."

Shaya nodded her head and gave Mikoto the same exact fake smile. "It's good to be back." She looked around the room and snorted. "I would have done a better job. You have your chandeliers too high and the room is too red. What are you trying to say with that color? It's too bold."

Mikoto bit back her anger; it would not do her any good to make a scene in front of the entire country. "People find the setup unique and different. No one likes the same boring thing." Mikoto smiled inwardly at Shaya's grimaced face. "Enjoy your stay." She bit back.

The family walked into the room without looking back at the King and Queen and proceeded to look for their assigned table. Mikoto watched the two daughters with piercing eyes. She never liked those two girls practically throwing themselves at her sons. Mikoto believed that they should marry the person they love, not for money; even if Shaya's family was richer than hers she would never accept Ami or Maya as a daughter-in-law.

Itachi and Sasuke stood next to Kakashi watching the couples dance with each other on the dance floor. The women's dresses flailed out while the men would catch their slender bodies with just as much gracefulness.

"How long do we have to stand here?" Sasuke grunted out. "I hate these things."

Kakashi chuckled at his comment. "Get used to it Sasuke. This is what women love to do. It's what you will have to do to find a suitable wife."

Itachi felt a sly smirk make its way onto his face. _'There is __**one**__ woman that hates dances, hates Balls, and hates anything fancy.' _

"But Sakura is a woman and she hates dressing up." Sasuke pointed out, unconsciously unaware of Itachi's same thoughts.

Kakashi nodded his head. "That is true Sasuke…but that is Sakura, she is very different from the girls you see here. You can't put her in the same category."

"Very different." Itachi said emotionlessly as he scanned the crowd carelessly.

"Ita!"

The very high shrill voice rang through the three men's ears obnoxiously. Sasuke looked all around for the voice and in the distance saw twiddle Dee and twiddle dumb running towards them.

"Kakashi you have to hide us!" He shouted as his pale face became even paler.

Kakashi stayed in a slouch position and shrugged his shoulders. "Hide you from what? I don't see any danger here."

Before Sasuke had a chance to run away, and hide in the kitchen, the two girls placed themselves in front of the two Uchiha boys.

"Ita! You look so gorgeous!" The excited brunette said as she eyed Itachi like a piece of meat. She clapped her hands together and smiled brightly at him. She lifted up her yellow dress with diamond beads down the back and threw herself around Itachi's waist.

Itachi stood there and stiffened at her touch. "Get off me Ami."

The woman giggled lightly and nuzzled her face into his chest. "I missed you too Ita! Ever since that bitch of a servant attacked me I thought I'd never see you again! But here you are! And all mine!"

Kakashi stared at the loud woman that claimed Itachi. Her long hair was pulled back into a tight bun while her small arms snaked their way around Itachi's waist. Her nose curved downward while her eyebrows were too thin to be attractive. Her thin lips stretched across her face as a wicked smile was formed. _'Well you don't see this every day.'_

Sasuke watched as Maya simply stared at him without blinking. "Um…"

Maya didn't stop looking at him, until suddenly; she jumped on him and smothered the youngest Uchiha in her chest. "Sasu! I've dreamt about you every night! We got married and had kids!"

Sasuke struggled against the stalker-like girl and tried to get his head away from her chest. "You're crazy! Get away from me! I'd never have kids with you!"

Kakashi stood on the sidelines as he watched the two Uchiha boys get smuggled by the two women. _'These are the two girls that I've heard so much about.' _He swallowed down his chuckle at the boys' discomfort. _'Mikoto was not shy on her description of them.'_

Meanwhile, while the Ball was just getting started, Anko was locked away in her kitchen sending out food as soon as it was prepared. Every cook under her watch was flipping, serving, and preparing their assigned plates at the same time. Her boss skills shined through as every dish was delivered on time with unmistakable accuracy.

"Ok one more course!" She yelled at them as she went around and stacked the main course meals onto the trays for the servants to take out to the guests.

When the last servant carried the final dinner platter out to the sea of people, all the cooks dropped their knives and sunk down onto any available counter space. They were looking for a place to rest their tired bodies on and the counter was a well desired place to do it.

"Take five men!" Anko yelled out as she dropped her towel and walked out into the back hallway, she needed a break from all the work as well. The hallway was a prefect place for her to take a breather.

Sakura ran on top of the last citizen's house and propelled herself over the iron gates that she has come to know so well. _'Almost home.' _She thought with a small smile as she sprinted up the back hill towards the west back door of the castle.

She unclasped her cloak and stashed it into its typical hiding spot, a tree trunk. The nightly summer breeze violently blew against her revealed skin. _'It feels like it's going to rain.' _She thought as she looked up at the cloudy night sky, the clouds moved angrily across the heavens. _'Only a matter of time before it starts to thunder and lightening.' _Even with the thought of rain she felt happy that she was no longer in the chilly, murderous air haunting her every step.

She looked around the perimeter to see that every guard was posted in their regular spots. _'They don't know half of the hell that Orochimaru will unleash tonight.' _She thought sadly as she opened the door soundlessly and slipped into the castle undetected. _'Hopefully no one will be killed.'_

The view of normal hallways, no bloodshed, no dead bodies, and the aroma of Anko's cooking made Sakura's nerves calm down significantly. _'I have to find Anko! She's going to want to know how I am!'_

She raced through the hallways without a second thought; the familiar path to Anko's back hallway was fresh in her mind. As she came closer to the corner that would lead her to Anko, she saw the stressed cook jabbing her fists into the wall.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" She mumbled at herself.

Sakura stayed behind the wall as she watched her dear friend pound away at the door. _'Anko…'_

The said woman drove her head up and wiped a lone tear off her cheek. She shook her head, making her short brown hair wave around in every direction. "Listen to yourself Anko! You think Sakura is going to come back?! After what Fugaku does to her…if she found her parents why would she come back to this rat hole?"

Sakura felt her heart sink into her chest. _'Anko I would never leave you!' _Her strong friend began to crack under the "realization" of Sakura never coming back. _'She can't crack! She's Anko… I need to comfort her.' _

"I would come back to this rat hole because I have an awesome friend that has covered my ass for two days." Sakura said.

Anko's closed eyes popped out of her sockets. _'Sakura?!' _She turned away from the wall to see her young friend smiling brightly at her.

"Sakura!" Anko yelled as she grabbed her and gathered her into a bone crushing hug. "You idiot! Why the hell would you leave me alone on the busiest days?!" She screamed.

Sakura giggled at Anko's scolding. "I'm sorry Anko, but I had to go!" Sakura pleaded as she gave the cook a hug back.

Anko snorted as she slowly let go of Sakura and looked at her with happy eyes. "Just…don't do it again."

Sakura smiled brightly and nodded her head. "Yes ma'am."

Anko ruffled Sakura's hair at her eagerness, but as her eyes scaled down Sakura's body, her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What exactly are you wearing Haruno?"

Sakura took a step back from the fuming cook and giggled embarrassingly. "Oh? This?" Sakura looked at her outfit from the underground fights. "I needed something to wear."

"More like you didn't want to wear anything!"

"But the leather makes it easier to move Anko! Besides it's the summer! Shorts and tank tops keep you cool…especially when you're running around."

Anko raised an eye brow at Sakura's mumbled statement. "Did you find what you were looking for Sakura?"

Sakura could see the questions in Anko's eyes. She wanted to know how Sakura made out. _'Oh Anko…' _Sakura smiled at her old friend and nodded her head.

"Yes I found some information about them…nothing much."

"And? Who are they? What do they do?"

Sakura sighed. _'It's the least I can do for her covering for me and besides, she's my friend. She has a right to know.'_

Sakura cleared her throat as her mind began to give certain details to Anko. "No one gave me their names. I asked around towns and they told me I looked like my parents. I found out that my father is missing. He was last seen in a small village not too far from Kohana. When I went around and asked the citizens about him they gave me a blank look and dismissed me. I guess he is too gone to save."

Anko wrapped a comforting arm around the "sad" Sakura. "Did you find anything about your mother?"

Sakura shook her head slowly. "Nothing much, she was in an accident…when the doctors found her…she was already dead."

Anko brought the shaking Sakura into another comforting hug. "It will be ok Sakura. Something's are just never meant to be. Maybe your parents dieing was so they could give you a life they never had. You aren't bound by their names to fulfill any wishes or dreams or their place in society."

Sakura looked up at her wise friend and brought Anko into a gigantic hug. _'She's right. Maybe Kakashi never claiming me was so I could live my own life.'_

"Thank you Anko. You're the best."

Anko laughed and patted Sakura on the head. "Since you're back…why not start working? I know a few people that would very…happy to see you."

Sakura eyed her mischievous friend with a guarded look. The way Anko's eyes lit at her own comment scared her. "Sure…"

"I knew you'd say yes!" Anko grabbed Sakura's hand and led her into the kitchen.

The resting cooks watched as the poor servant was brought into Anko's office. They looked at each other, exchanging weary looks, praying silently for the servant's wellbeing. There was no telling what Anko was about to unleash on the young woman.

"Anko why the hell are we in your office?!" Sakura said as she eyed the place suspiciously.

Anko shuffled through her desk drawers, shoving every scrap of paper out of her way. "Before you can go out there you need to have the uniform on."

"Uniform?" Sakura didn't like where this was going.

Anko pulled out the clothing and turned around to Sakura. "Mikoto made every servant have a matching uniform." She looked Sakura up and down. "Even so, I don't think Mikoto would want you out serving in that."

Sakura looked down at her uneven shorts, her skin tight tank top, leather heels, and red leather fingerless gloves. "What's wrong with them?"

"I don't think a certain **man** would want you prancing around other men in that outfit. He might get jealous."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Anko's suggested thoughts. "I'm not going to ask who you're talking about." She took the dress roughly and began to slip herself into it. "I'll just get dressed."

Anko laughed loudly as Sakura dropped her shirt and pants and slipped into the white linen dress. Anko caught sight of Sakura's "bandaged" shoulder. She caught Sakura's hand before she could put the dress on.

"Sakura." She said sternly. "Where did that come from?"

Sakura looked at her poorly wrapped wound and tilted her head to the floor. "I needed to get information from a guy. The only way I could get it would be to fight him…he surprised me."

Anko growled at her recklessness and dragged her over to her "medical" room. "Sakura you really need to watch out who you get mixed up with. I'm not there all the time to save you from them." She said as she took Sakura's leaves and properly bandaged them.

Sakura nodded her head as Anko finished wrapping her shoulder with gauze. "Yes I know Anko. I'll be more careful next time."

Anko sighed and shook her head. "Just get dressed. We'll talk about this later."

Sakura nodded her head and slipped the dress over her petite form. The fluttery sleeves covered her wound while the dress came down to her knees. A brown thread was tied around her waist while Sakura kicked her heels to the side.

"See. Now you're ready." Anko said with a smile as she took the heels and hid them in a drawer.

Sakura smiled cutely at Anko and they both walked out of her office together. As the walked out Anko noticed the staring cooks. _'Annoying buggers.'_

"Get back to work maggots those plates will be flying in here any moment! Be ready!"

Sakura giggled at the cooks jumping to their feet and continuing to fry the millions of ducks and pigs that littered the kitchen.

However, while Anko and Sakura were waiting for the dishes to return, the guests continued to eat their meal with enjoyable smiles.

The Uchiha's sat at their table eating silently, surveying every guard that walked around the entrance doors. Mikoto looked to her husband and took a sip of her wine.

"Leonard never showed up." She said softly.

Fugaku looked at Kakashi and then nodded his head at his wife. "He must have gotten carried away with other business."

"What do you mean Father?" Sasuke asked truly curious.

"What Fugaku means is that Tsunade's spy probably took care of him."

Itachi felt a small shiver run down his spine. _'I haven't seen that spy in a while…where has he been sent to?' _

"That guy gives me a bad feeling." Mikoto said. "I mean he must have had a tough life in order to be able to crawl down in those sewers and even stand the sight of blood."

Kakashi chuckled at Mikoto's words. "Don't worry Mikoto. I'm sure the spy is just fine."

"As long as he's on our side it doesn't matter." Sasuke said.

"Until he decides that he has a better offer. Then he could reveal everything about our home without a second thought." Itachi said emotionlessly as he placed a duck leg into his mouth.

Their table grew silent at the thought but it was soon brushed off as soon as the desert was brought to their table. It didn't take long for the, now full, guests to get back onto the dance floor and twirl their partners around in the favorable fashion.

"Ita come dance with me." Ami said as she grabbed Itachi's arm and tried to pull him towards the dance floor.

"No Ami."

Sasuke was having the same issue. "Maya stop staring at me! I'm not going to dance with you! Go find another guy to torment!"

Maya pulled down on Sasuke's arm and shook her head. "But I love looking at you Sasu! You're so pretty to look at! We are both beautiful so we must dance together!"

Kakashi was stuck with the boys all night, it was a precaution the King placed, just incase Orochimaru tried anything different. He felt bad for the Uchiha men. _'These girls won't stop their annoying tricks unless someone else makes them.'_

"But Ita that pink haired freak isn't anywhere and this is the perfect time to tell everyone that we are engaged!"

Kakashi's eyes went wide at Ami's words. _'What?!' _He looked towards Itachi to see how the emotionally detached Uchiha would handle this little bit of information.

Itachi became frozen, his black eyes turned cold as he jerked his arm away from Ami. "We are not engaged. I will never marry you." His black eyes slowly turned red as the thought of Ami being his wife came into his mind.

Ami sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "We were made for each other Ita. You can't deny that you want this." She said as she pushed her pelvis against his.

Itachi took a step back and pushed Ami away from him. "Leave Ami."

The dimwitted girl simply giggled at Itachi's actions and threw herself right back at him. "Oh please Ita, who else would dare take you…"

Sakura stepped out of the kitchen doors to see the guests having a blast. _'Just like it should be.' _She thought happily as she balanced her tray on her hand and mingled around the active room.

With her head high she took her serving tray and made her way to the guests, gracefully avoiding anything that could make the expensive crystal plates and jugs break. She scanned the area for her teacher hoping to be able to inform her of the situation but found the Uchiha boys instead. _'Oh no…not them again.'_

Sakura saw Ami and Maya pulling and forcing Sasuke and Itachi to dance with them. She noticed Itachi's stiffened stance that his patience was warring thin, while Sasuke's red face just showed how annoyed he was. _'What I find funny is that Kakashi isn't helping them.' _An idea popped into Sakura's head. _'I haven't even been back for a full day and I'm ready making trouble.' _She smiled brightly as her plan began to look even better. _'It's worth it! Plus they'll think of it as a typical hello.'_

With a confident stride Sakura effortlessly evaded every outstretched leg, arm, and body that crossed her path. She walked up from behind the men, making herself have full view of an outraged Ami. _'This should be good!'_

"Oh please Ita, who else here would, dare take you…" Sakura didn't let the poor woman finish her sentence her anxiousness couldn't resist.

With a slip of her wrist Sakura used the force from the pitcher and splashed the jug of wine onto Ami's canary yellow dress.

"Ahh!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "You clumsy servant!" She screamed louder.

Everyone turned from their dancing and conversations to see Ami foaming at the mouth. Her up-do bun was soaked while her yellow dress was now a new shade of orange.

Sakura grabbed the crystal pitcher before it hit the floor and placed it on top of the tray. "Oh I'm so sorry Miss. Your yellow dress blinded me and the tray simply slipped."

Itachi, Sasuke, and Kakashi's eyes went wide. They recognized that voice! With painfully slow actions they turned on their feet to see a smiling Sakura before them staring at the fluming Ami.

"Sakura?!" Sasuke yelled.

Sakura looked at the shocked Sasuke and smiled brightly. "What's wrong with you? It's like you've seen a ghost."

Itachi blinked several times. _'She doesn't look sick at all…she was never sick. Where did she go?' _His heart fluttered in his chest at the relief that washed over him. _'She wasn't sick.' _That thought never vanished, he was happy that she was never ill. It eased his mind, body, and soul.

"Well I guess you could say that." Kakashi said with an eye crease. _'She doesn't look sick at all…something isn't right. I can feel it in my gut.'_

Ami turned around and glared at the servant in front of her. "How dare you make fun of my dress!" Ami looked at Sakura's sad excuse of a dress and snorted. "At least I have one!"

The exchange made Mikoto, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Iruka, and Fugaku turn from their conversation to look at the scene. Fugaku grunted at the "return" of the pesky servant while the rest of the group was stunned beyond belief.

"Sakura! She's ok!" Mikoto said happily her eyes sparked to life at the sight of Sakura causing trouble. _'It's like she was never sick.'_

Tsuande nodded her head as she eyed her apprentice closely. _'What happened to you Sakura?' _She didn't notice any injuries and she didn't seem shaken by her mission. _'It couldn't have been that easy…'_

Jiraiya said nothing as he and Iruka stood as still as a statue. _'It looks as if nothing happened to her. But that's impossible…it was Orochimaru's lair…all types of twisted things are in there.'_

Iruka wanted to run up to Sakura and tackle her into a hug. _'She's not hurt! She looks fine…more than fine! She looks happy.' _He looked at the livid Ami and chuckled to himself. _'That would explain the happiness.'_

Sakura tilted her head to the side allowing her ponytail to sway to the side. "Oh yes Ami, I'm so very jealous of your puckish color dress."

Ami curled her fists up at her side and gritted her teeth together. "You are horrible! You just want everything I have! You're jealous because I have everything you don't!"

Sakura laughed at Ami's reaction. "Oh yes Ami I want everything you have. I can't stand myself sometimes. I want to be the very brat, stalker, mad woman that you've become." Sakura turned to their audience and bowed respectfully. "I apologize for the interruption everyone. Please go back to your dancing. The night has only just begun!" Sakura told them with a smile.

The guests shrugged their shoulders and continued to dance with their partners. Mikoto, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Iruka, and Fugaku walked over to the scene and joined Kakashi's side.

"Ah! You haven't heard the last of me Haruno! Watch! You will wish you were never born! I will ruin you!" Ami yelled as she grabbed her sister's hand and stomped her way to the wash room.

"Now that's something I don't miss." Sakura said with a smile as Ami's back was lost to the crowd.

"Sakura!" Mikoto shouted as she ran to her and hugged the young woman tightly.

Sakura fought back the temptation to pull Mikoto away from her wound that she managed to apply pressure to. "Hello my Lady."

"I was so worried about you." She said softly.

Sakura hugged the queen back with her free arm. "I'm sorry to worry you; it was just a two day bug."

"When did you get in here?" She asked.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "Not too long ago."

"And you're already working?" Iruka asked, trying to play up her act.

Sakura smiled at Iruka and nodded her head. "Anko told me that she needed less "bone-headed" servants serving the crowd."

"You should be resting Sakura." Mikoto said as she searched Sakura for any signs of fatigue.

"Don't worry my Lady, I'll be fine." She broke away from their embrace and examined her empty jug. "If you would excuse me I have to go refill my jug now." She said with a proud smile on her face.

"Oh, yes of course." Mikoto said with a smile.

Itachi watched Sakura bow deeply to them before she turned on the balls of her feet and began to make her way back to the kitchen. After three days of having his emotions unresponsive to the world around him it felt invigorating to feel the locked chest come back to life. To see her again and to feel his feelings fly through him felt amazing. Yet, even though he should be celebrating…at the same time his gut continued to twist and turn in his stomach. _'Something is coming…'_

'_Oh that was too easy.' _Sakura thought with a skip in her step as she passed the front of the Ball room. _'Why can't life be like that every day?'_

As she was about to take another step forward she felt her body not respond to her request. _'What the…!' _She tried to move her neck but felt a cold tip against her throat. She looked down at her waist to see two large arms wrapped around her.

"Get off of me!" She grunted out. The smell of the familiar acids crawled into her nose.

"Stay still little one. We are simply using you as bait." She heard the man whisper in her ear.

"Over my dead body!" She yelled out as she grabbed her tray and crashed it on the floor.

The sudden shatter of the glass, and banging of the tray, was loud enough to make the music stop, the guests freeze, and others hearts to skip a beat.

Everyone looked to the front of the room to see a man covered in a purple cloak holding Sakura against her will. The crowd grew silent as another man walked behind the purpled covered one.

His body was hidden by shadows as he cleared his throat to begin to speak. "I'm sorry to interrupt this cute dance, but I had to crash this fine party! How come you didn't invite me Uchiha's? You know it is quite rude." A dark voice slithered out, making everyone stiffen in terror.

Itachi looked to the front of the room at the man that held Sakura in place. His heart hitched in his throat as the pointed object stayed positioned against her throat. _'That slimy man.' _Hatred and anger flowed through his veins as his body itched to attack the man and free Sakura from his arms. _'You will regret ever touching her.' _A growl emitted from the back of his throat as his hands hovered over his sword.

'_Oh no!' _Mikoto covered her mouth as she stared wide eyed at Sakura's dangerous predicament. _'This can't be happening!' _She looked to Itachi to see him itching to fight, the fact made her warm inside, but the issue at hand made the emotion unfitting.

Fugaku, however, glared at the man for interrupting his Ball. _'This does not look good in front of every royal family.' _He wanted to kill the man for crashing his Ball earlier than he would have liked.

Kakashi glared at the man as his fatherly instincts kicked in. He was going to save his daughter no matter what the cost! _'I will not make the same mistake twice. I may have allowed my wife to walk into this line of work, but Sakura doesn't deserve this. I will bring her back.'_

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade while Tsunade concentrated on Sakura. "This isn't going to end well." She commented her eyes narrowed at their old teammate.

"What would he want with Sakura?" Iruka asked.

"Who knows Iruka. That man is a twisted as they come." Jiraiya answered as his muscled tensed, if he had to kill his old teammate to defend Sakura so be it.

The tension thickened as the covered men stood in front of the whole country. The plan had finally come into affect. There is no longer white and black, lives are at stake, and in order for anyone to wiggle their way out of this scary death sentence every possible grey area needed to be explored.

'_Bring it on Orochimaru.' _Sakura thought as she inwardly smirked. _'You won't know what hit you.' _

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TO

BE

CONTINUED

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**Author's Note:** Wow! 41 pages!! It amazes me how much you guys make me write :) I hope you enjoyed that long chapter! I know it's another bad cliff hanger but it's not as bad as before was it??

Read and Review!! :)


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's Note**_: HAPPY EASTER!! Well…for those who celebrate it :) I'm so excited! This is, by far, my most favorite chapter in all of the previous chapters I've written!! I hope everyone enjoys this awesome chapter as much as I did when I wrote it! It took a lot longer to post the chapter, but that's only because I wanted to make it perfect for you guys!!

_**Dedicated to**_: xXbunnyholicXx, The Reveiwer known as Name, sodapopgirly83, alwayslost123, SasoLOVE111, jackie-chan1230, Em-i-lo, TheVampyricAssassin, stargazing-sweetie, MidKnight Karina, nightwish635, LadyPassionofHate, midnightblue123, Ano, XSweetXSourXSoulX, shadow miko, snorkabuziaczek, jjdjd, DarkMangaIza, LadyYakamichi, skyblueocean, sleeping itasaku fangirl, Natalie, Abmonkey8, Takakuma, minniemousemom, just-let-me-go, A'den Neytiri Kad, narubby23, nickeledwards, red-dragon93551, sunshinestar16, and TeamTHEFT

Enjoy!

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Fugaku took a step forward and glared at the purple cloaked man. "What do you want?" He growled out.

The man hidden behind the shadows chuckled darkly at Fugaku's frustration. "Now why would I give away my master plan? That would ruin all the fun!"

"Show yourself!" Fugaku ordered in a booming voice. "I don't like guessing."

"Ha, ha." The mysterious man smirked behind the shadows as he took a carefree step towards the light.

The room was filled with gasps of horror as a slender body, black long hair, and yellow eyes appeared before them. Sakura struggled against her captor's hold as she watched the man reveal himself to everyone.

"Orochimaru." His name spat out of Fugaku's mouth like poison. "What a pleasant surprise."

Kakashi's grip tightened around the handle of his sword. _'This is not good!' _He shifted his calculating eyes between Orochimaru and Sakura. If he did anything to Sakura he would surely have his head.

Sasuke stared at the snake man with worried eyes. _'Isn't that the man Father and Itachi have been trying to catch?' _He looked at the struggling Sakura with helplessness. _'What could that man want with Sakura?'_

Tsunade's hands clenched at her sides. She looked to her apprentice for any clues or hints but Sakura was too busy squirming around in the other man's arms to notice Tsunade's stares. She looked to Jiraiya hoping to warn her partner for any slimy tricks their old friend would pull. She looked at Iruka to see him more alert than usual. His eyes darted uncontrollably between Sakura, Orochimaru, and the cloaked man. His anxiousness and worry was evident in every motion he made.

Itachi never took his eyes off the snake man, if he made the slightest move in Sakura's direction he would not hesitate to slice Orochimaru's organs into tiny miniscule pieces. _'I will personally watch your evil body dry from the blood that will drain from every pour in your body.'_

Mikoto stood as still as stone, her hand over her mouth, as her black eyes widened significantly at the very sight before her. _'Sakura! She's in danger!' _She turned to her husband hoping he would advance towards the dangerous man and free Sakura from his grasp.

Her eyes narrowed disappointingly at her unmoving husband. Fugaku did not flinch and remained at her side. _'If he won't ask him I will. I will not allow my husband's stubborn Uchiha personality to endanger Sakura.'_

She took a demanding step forward, making everyone's eyes follow her every move. Her red dress flared around her as her heels impatiently clicked against the marble floors. Her worried black eyes shot to Sakura for a spit second before they landed on Orochimaru. Her raven eyes turned crimson as she unleashed a bone chilling Uchiha glare in the man's direction.

"Release her." Mikoto ordered. Her demanding tone showed everyone how Mikoto received the Uchiha name. Her icy tone cut through the room in an intimidating manner, no one moved from their spot, afraid of what she would do to them if they did.

Sakura stopped wiggling around in the man's hold when she heard Mikoto's tone carry through the dead silent room. _'Mikoto! What do you think you're doing?! He's going to kill you!' _She looked at Fugaku to see him only watching his wife with the typical emotionless stare. _'You bastard! Do something! She's your wife! He could kill her and all you are going to do is stand there?!' _The horrible display of "loyalty" Fugaku had for his wife made Sakura hate the self-absorbed man even more.

Orochimaru stared down at the Queen and innocently turned his head to the side. "Mikoto…" He said as a smile stretched across his face. "…you seem attached to this servant."

Mikoto ignored his question and continued on with her own command. "Orochimaru you will release her right now!"

Fugaku twitched at his wife's bold request. _'You're going to get yourself killed woman.'_

Sasuke jumped to his mother's side and grabbed her by the arm. He needed to pull the head strong woman away from the person that could potentially end her life. "Mother, don't do anything reckless. He could kill you." He whispered.

With a click of his tongue Orochimaru simply shook his head from side to side. "Oh don't worry my Sasuke. I wouldn't kill your mother."

Sasuke shivered at Orochimaru's nickname for him. Mikoto grabbed her son and threw him behind her, using her own body as a shield. "You will not touch my son."

Orochimaru shook his head. "Oh of course not Mikoto. Not yet at least."

Tsunade stared at the sinister man as his words sent her body on alert. _'What could Orochimaru want with Sasuke?'_

Jiraiya stared at Tsunade with wide eyes. He walked up behind her and whispered in her ear. "Orochimaru isn't after Fugaku. He's after Sasuke. Look at the way his eyes cast over to Sasuke every once and a while. It's as if he's eyeing him like a piece of meat."

Tsunade nodded her head. "Yes I noticed that Jiraiya… but we can't do anything about that at the moment. We have to make him believe that we don't know what he wants. If he does catch on…who knows what he will unleash on us. At the very least we need to get everyone out of here before we do voice our discovery."

"You will not come near him Orochimaru. I will not let you!" Mikoto defended as she motioned for Kakashi to stand next to them. _'If he wants Sasuke he will have to go throw Kakashi and me to do it!'_

Orochimaru sighed at the primitive display of Mikoto's desire to keep her son safe. "Kabuto, you choose a very good hostage." He complemented his apprentice, changing the subject. "See, Mikoto I would love to comply with your original request…but she's such a precious hostage don't you think?"

Sakura glared at Orochimaru as he sent a loving smile her way. _'Don't push your luck you snake loving bastard.' _

Orochimaru scanned his eyes through the crowd until they came to a complete stop. His yellow eyes locked with amber as a sinister smile crawled up his face. "Tsunade."

Tsunade glared at him and placed her hands on her hips. "What do you want you snake?" She snarled out, her nose scrunching up as she spoke.

'_Oh no!' _Sakura stared at her mentor with pleading eyes as Tsunade confidently strolled closer to Orochimaru. _'Deny anything he says Tsunade! Deny it all!'_

Jiraiya followed in step with Tsunade, his head held high. "Why don't you enlighten us with what you want Orochimaru. The world knows you don't like to hold back." He interjected hoping to save Tsunade from Orochimaru's intense stare.

"Oh Jiraiya! I forgot about you." He tilted his head in acknowledgement but kept his keen eyes on Tsunade. "I'm rather impressed actually."

Tsunade stared at her old teammate with an apprehensive stare. She grabbed an end of her long yellow dress and tossed it behind her, its long train hindered her long strides that carried her to the edge of the step.

"How?" She kept her answers short and brief as she used the time to read his posture and tone. _'What is running through this twisted man's head?' _

Her amber eyes scanned the man before her. His shoulders were relaxed while he slouched to one side against his foot. His high smile showed that he was not worried about what was to come. In fact, it was going according to plan. Tsunade growled at the overconfident man. _'He isn't giving me any leeway!'_

Kabuto removed his hood and smirked in their direction. "Your apprentice is a very cleaver character. He managed to slip into our base without me detecting him. I would love to learn how he learned to observe the way he does. His moves and actions were preciously planned out; it's amazing the lad isn't a genius."

The air tensed as Kabuto released his bit of information into the conversation. The Uchiha's stiffened at the mention of the intimidating spy. Kakashi felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up while Jiraiya and Iruka's mouth dropped to the floor.

"So that's where your spy has been?" Kakashi asked with suspicion.

"That's a dangerous assignment don't you think?" Mikoto said quietly. "No one would have thought to follow Kabuto into his own territory."

"That's suicide." Kakashi concluded. He looked at Tsunade and Jiraiya with an unreadable expression. "You forced this job on him?"

Iruka shook his head at Kakashi. "Kakashi, this is Tsunade's spy we are talking about. He takes any job that is thrown at him. No matter how dangerous it is. Tsunade didn't demand him to track down Kabuto; he came to that conclusion on his own."

"He doesn't value his life?" Sasuke asked. _'Why throw yourself in danger if it doesn't benefit you?'_

"Yes he does Sasuke. His value of life is just a little different than you or I would value it."

"That makes him a respectable opponent." Itachi added in as all the actions of the spy began to make sense. "He's fighting for something that he holds dear."

"One could say that." Iruka finished as their attention was brought back to the puzzling Orochimaru.

"What about him?" Jiraiya said narrowing his eyes. _'I do not like where Orochimaru is taking this conversation.'_

"How could you have found a better student than me?" Orochimaru said dramatically, bringing a hand over his heart to emphasize how hurt he was. "Normally I am the better one between the two of you…but this apprentice of yours Tsunade…baffles me."

Tsunade allowed a smirk to spill across her features. "So that's what you expect to gain from capturing this servant? My apprentice?"

Orochimaru took a step forward, his leather knee high boots clicked against the wooden stage. "He is a slippery lad. He evaded my attacks quickly and holds an indubitable amount of determination. No doubt your apprentice would make a great addition to my team." Orochimaru turned his back on his audience, his black jacket fluttered to the side at the sudden twist in motion, and he leisurely strolled to Sakura's side. "And besides…" He took Sakura's face in his palm and pressed his fingers against her cheeks. "This servant seems to hold sentimental value to a few of you."

Sakura growled in the back of her throat at his close proximity. She twisted her head and bit his finger with a violent chomp. "Get the fuck away from me."

Orochimaru yanked his hand away and slapped her with the back of his hand. "And she's feisty too." He commented as he watched his middle finger bleed from the newly formed bite mark.

"Leave her alone Orochimaru." Kakashi felt rage crawl up his spine as he watched his daughter's face fly to the side from Orochimaru's powerful slap. "She has nothing to do with this."

Itachi hovered close to Kakashi waiting for him to give the signal to jump on the step and kill the man. _'Get your hands off her.' _He watched the man slide his cold dark hands against Sakura's cheeks. He could smell the stench from across the room, the idea of his scent mixing with Sakura's sent Itachi over the edge. _'If you hurt her one more time Orochimaru I will attack you. I will kill you.' _He knew his heart couldn't take the sight of Sakura getting hit.

Orochimaru brought his hands back to her cheeks and traced imaginary circles around them. "Oh Kakashi you prove my point exactly. You all want this servant to be safe. Why wouldn't I use that to my advantage?"

"What's your proposition?" Itachi growled out. He wanted that man as far from Sakura as possible.

Orochimaru dropped his hold on Sakura and brought his attention to the demanding group below him. He raised his hand and pointed to Tsunade, a smug look plastered on his face. "It's a simple trade really. Tsunade you give me your apprentice and in exchange I'll give you this servant."

Kakashi stared at Tsunade with stern eyes. "Give him your apprentice Tsunade." Kakashi ordered. _'Sakura shouldn't have to go through this event just because you and Orochimaru have a grudge against each other.'_

Itachi's emotionless eyes secretly conveyed his feelings about the whole ordeal. He heard his mother gasp beside him; she was just as rattled by Orochimaru's request as everyone else was. _'Tsunade hands over the spy, we can then get Sakura, and kill the devilish man.'_

Mikoto's head looked between Tsunade and Orochimaru. She could see the tension between them thicken. "What will Tsunade do?" She knew that Tsunade's apprentice was her baby…but would Tsunade give Sakura up at the expense to keep her apprentice safe?

'_Oh no…this won't end well. Sakura is Tsunade's apprentice! How can she get Sakura away and hand over her apprentice? Will Tsunade even agree?' _Iruka asked himself as he studied his old friend with concern. _'Could anything else possibly go wrong?'_

Jiraiya snorted at Orochimaru's request. He tilted his body to the side while he whispered into Iruka's ear. "That man has no idea what he just asked."

Iruka tore his eyes from Tsunade to look at the smirking Jiraiya. "What do you think she will do? Orochimaru isn't stupid when it comes to his requests."

"Just watch Iruka. Tsunade doesn't let a request like that be taken lightly."

Tsunade moved her hands from her hips and crossed them over her chest. "No. You will never get a hold of my apprentice. Even if I had him over to you what makes you think that he will even listen to you?" Tsunade secretly gave Sakura a look. _'I can't even control her.'_

Orochimaru chuckled darkly and raised his hand in the air. "I had a feeling you'd say that." He turned his head in Kabuto's direction and tilted his head to the side. "If you won't give me your spy Tsunade…then I'll just kill her."

Sasuke watched as the wicked man's tilting head was a signal to Kabuto. The sidekick took the knife that was resting against Sakura's throat and began to drag the sharp object across her fragile neck. _'No! Sakura!'_

Kakashi watched the action happen in slow motion. _'Tsunade why didn't you agree to his terms?! Forget about your pride! Forget out this whole competition! This is my daughter's life you're gambling away!' _His heart couldn't take the scene that was about to unfold before his very eyes. He buried his wife, that was enough heartache to last him a life time, but to stand by and watch his young daughter die at the hands of one of his deadliest enemies…he couldn't handle it.

Mikoto gasped and buried her head into Sasuke's shoulder. She couldn't bear to watch Kabuto carelessly behead Sakura. _'T-There is nothing I can do to save her!' _She yelled at herself as tears dripped from her eyes and down Sasuke's arm. _'Sakura…I'm oh so very sorry. I wish I could save you.'_

Fugaku smirked at the fate that Sakura was about to meet. _'Finally she will get what she deserves.' _He looked at his crying wife on his youngest son. _'She will see that this servant is better off dead than alive.'_

Iruka gave Tsunade an unbelievable look. "How could she do that?"

Jiraiya felt the wind being knocked out of him as Kabuto began to drag the threatening knife across Sakura's skin. He grabbed Tsunade's arm angrily outraged by her decision. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Tsunade broke her eyes away from Sakura and shook her head. "She told me to say it Jiraiya. Sakura has a plan and she just told me about it. You really think I'd bring this death on her? I'm her teacher! Obviously I value her life more than my own."

Jiraiya released Tsunade's arm and stared at the blinking Sakura. She stood calmly in Kabuto's arms, watching the knife begin to trail across her neck. She blinked and flicked her wrists in a simultaneous motion. The action was Sakura sending a message to Tsunade without attention being drawn to her actions. _'A tiny unthinkable action…she really has come a long way.' _Her eyes absorbed Sakura's plan, she had to trust her apprentice. '_She's been planning this from the very beginning.' _A proud smile crossed his face. _'Sakura you are truly gifted.'_

Sakura stood up straight as Kabuto took his time applying pressure on the knife placed roughly against her neck. She twisted her wrists, blinked her eyes, and did other nervous motions to send Tsunade her plan. _'It has only just begun.' _She thought with an inward smirk.

Itachi felt his heart shatter into pieces. The pain that he felt from the sudden request of Sakura's death left him feeling winded. _'No…she can't do that!' _His emotions began to fly out of control within him. _'He'll have to kill me before he even touches Sakura.' _

Before Itachi could take a hasty step to save Sakura, Tsunade's voice cut through the room. "Stop!"

Kabuto brought his knife away from Sakura's neck at the sudden shout. He looked to Orochimaru for the order to continue but the man put his hand up, complying with Tsunade's request.

"Have you changed your mind?" He asked with a twist of his head and a flicker of his tongue.

Everyone turned their eyes to the legendary spy. Her words were what the desperate people clung to as she Sakura's life was being juggled in her hands.

Mikoto ripped her head from Sasuke and the two of them stared at Sakura. Her eyes blinked away the tears while Sasuke felt hope resurface. Itachi immediately stopped his feet from stepping onto the wooden platform. One wrong move could bring Sakura to her death. Kakashi was the most relieved; his heart thumped uncontrollably at the rollercoaster ride Tsunade was sending it. Fugaku was the only one that felt angered by the sudden halt.

Tsunade smirked. "I'll hand over my apprentice to you Orochimaru…under one condition."

Orochimaru's eyes lit up at the challenge. "Name your price Tsunade. I'm anxious to hear it."

She stepped away from the circle of friends and began to pace all around the room. She jumped up on a table and chairs, lifted and untied the black curtains. "You have to guess where he is." She simply stated as she found her way back to the circle.

Orochimaru's smile wiped from his face at the mention of her terms. "What if I guess wrong?"

Tsunade slid back into her original position and shrugged her shoulders. "Then my apprentice will do what they see fit as a punishment."

The crowd of people began to grow fidgety, uncomfortable with the fact that a killer was amongst them. Word of Tsunade's apprentice traveled the Fire Country, they all knew of the heartless killing he could do. No one liked the idea that Tsunade's apprentice was in the room. The unknown location scared them the most. Within seconds the royal guests stiffened in their spot, scared to move a muscle.

Orochimaru's smile came back onto his face. "Very well then." He turned to Kabuto and waved him over.

Kabuto walked towards his master, with Sakura still in his hold. He stood in his master's spot and waited for further instructions.

"Kabuto. Guess where Tsunade's spy is."

Kabuto used his free hand to push his glasses against the bridge of his nose. "Yes Orochimaru."

Tsunade watched Orochimaru's apprentice with calculating eyes. _'I hope you know what you're doing Sakura. Kabuto is a very well known observer…I hope your plan works.'_

Jiraiya bit his tongue from revealing any information. Whatever Sakura's plan was, he could not be spoil it with his emotions. Kabuto would sense his uneasiness and God knows what would happen next. He looked to Iruka to see the man stand up as straight as a pole, his tensed eyes followed Kabuto's line of sight.

Iruka didn't dare to look in Sakura's direction. He was afraid that staring at her would be caught on by Kabuto. _'Sakura you are going to be the death of me! You always like to keep your enemies a little too close for comfort. You play a little too dicey with your own life.' _It never did surprise him of the schemes Sakura came up with. Even when she was little Sakura loved taking chances, and not once did he find them enjoyable to watch.

Sasuke prayed to the higher Gods to watch over Sakura as Tsunade's spy took down Kabuto. _'Please…Sakura doesn't deserve this…she hasn't done anything.' _He and Sakura were close and he wanted nothing more than to have her be released from Kabuto's grasp, unharmed.

Mikoto wrapped her arm around her youngest son as she crossed her fingers for Tsunade's spy to punish Kabuto without mercy. _'I know my family has not seen eye-to-eye with you Spy, but please, I beg you…save Sakura. I'd be eternally in your debt if you could.'_

'_What is going on in Tsunade's head?' _Kakashi never did understand the way a spy's thoughts worked, but if there was any spy that could hide under anyone's nose he knew it had to be Tsunade's apprentice. _'I will have to trust him.' _Deep down in his gut he knew that Tsunade's spy would not want any harm done Sakura.

Itachi couldn't describe the relief he felt when Tsunade screamed out that single word. His heart did several leaps of joy in his chest. He took another look at Sakura to make sure he wasn't dreaming. _'For once in my life I hope that annoying spy kills Kabuto. Make him pay for the pain he is putting Sakura through.' _

Sakura followed Kabuto's every twitch and motion as he surveyed the room. His body pivoted from side-to-side, his concentrated grey eyes scanning the room vigorously for her. She followed his line of sight as they danced around in a circle. _'It won't be long now.' _She thought to herself as Kabuto stopped moving and stared at the candle lights above.

Kabuto eyed the way the candles fluttered their shadows against the wall. _'This spy could be anywhere.' _He turned his body around to look on the back wall behind them. His grey eyes searching for any hiding places the tricky spy could be. _'He could even be anyone here.' _For a moment he glanced down at the woman in his arms. _'It could be her…' _As he thought about his accusation he couldn't hold back the snort. _'This is my life I'm gambling away I'm not going gamble it away on a false guess. This woman may be the same size of the spy but she doesn't show any other signs of being him.'_

Sakura's eyes roomed the walls for her key idea of her plan to go into motion. _'Where the hell is she?! She has to be coming now!' _Sakura felt her insides jump for joy as she saw the candles flicker at the gust of wind. _'I knew she wouldn't let me down.'_

Her captor didn't miss the candle lights flicker either. His body came to a grueling halt his grey eyes followed the imaginary shadow to the dark corners of the room. _'He's here. Look underneath the dark shadows, the unthinkable places, the unimaginable places. Spies are known for their stealth and skills to use the darkness in their favor…this spy knows how to use shadows to their advantage. He is one of the best hiders I've ever seen…that's it!'_

A crash of thunder boomed over the Uchiha castle causing the glass on the tables to shake from the intensity. The ground rumbled from the force. Kabuto looked away from the dark corner, now lit up, by the lightning streak. "I know where your apprentice is." He finally said with a sadistic grin on his face.

The rain hammered down on the roof, making the suspense of Kabuto's outburst hang in the air. Tsunade stared Kabuto dead in the eyes as a single blonde eye brow rose into the air.

"Where is he?"

Kabuto lifted his free hand to point in the direction of where the spy was located. "There."

Tsunade didn't back down her stare. "Is that your final guess? You have only one guess to make Kabuto. If I were you I wouldn't gamble it away."

Kabuto didn't falter in his assumption and nodded his head confidently. "Tsunade do not try to trick me into thinking that I have made the wrong decision. I know how you spies try to gather information from people, and making me try to change my mind will not work. I know I'm correct."

Everyone turned in the direction Kabuto pointed his finger. The area was an obscure, but not suspicious, hiding spot. It was high in the ceiling where the lights could cast their shadows over the area. The sporadic placing of the lighting made the corner a hard place to conceal a body. One would have to know the way the lights flickered and how the random bolts of lightning lightened up the corner.

"Your apprentice, Tsunade, is located in that corner above us. He is hiding behind using the shadows to bend and sway in the ways of the light. I'd recognize that specific pattern of movement anywhere. Not everyone can hide with the light and darkness."

Sakura stayed emotionless as her emotions rolled around in pure bliss at the clueless researcher. _'For an observer he's pretty damn stupid.'_

Orochimaru turned to Tsunade with an impatient look. "Well Tsunade! Is he right or not?!"

Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. "Why not see for yourself."

The suspense in the air increased dramatically as everyone waited for the spy to jump down from the hiding spot Kabuto found and be handed over to Orochimaru.

Kabuto looked back and forth between Orochimaru and the hiding spot. _'I'm positive that, that is where he is!' _As every second passed he grew more nervous.

Sakura felt his body tense and shiver with fear as the spy didn't jump down from the hiding spot. _'Now!' _She yelled to herself as she stared up at the ceiling planks above her.

"I know that…" Kabuto's anxiousness and fear ended shortly before he could finish his sentence.

The audience watched a sharp butcher's knife wiz through the air from above. The medium sized knife flew through the air towards Kabuto's neck. Sakura stood perfectly still as Kabuto's grip around her neck tightened. _'You better not miss.' _She thought bitterly.

Kabuto couldn't think straight never in his life has he failed before! _'I am never wrong!' _Was all he could tell himself as his eyes watched the deadly knife come closer and closer to him.

The gust of wind made Sakura's shoulder-length pink hair fly in the wind. Her emerald eyes watched as the knife skimmed past her own neck and sliced through Kabuto's throat. The knife easily sliced through his main artery and exited through the back of his throat. The gaping hole made his blood pour out of his neck and onto an unmoving Sakura. His blood covered her white dress and the floor underneath them. Sakura didn't look at the gaping Kabuto when she took a step back from the lifeless body.

The room was silent. No one moved from their spot as they watched the cocky Kabuto fall to his death. Some wondered how the servant didn't scream in horror, while others were too fascinated by the accuracy of the throw.

Tsunade stared at the fallen Kabuto with an all knowing smirk. _'I told you to rethink your decision.' _She skimmed her eyes over Sakura very quickly before she watched Orochimaru's reaction. _'You place a lot of trust in that blonde friend of yours Sakura.'_

Orochimaru stared wide eyed at his dead apprentice that was left to bleed to death beneath Sakura. He momentarily looked at the smirking Tsunade and in one sweep he viciously grabbed Sakura and pressed her back against his chest.

"Why not bring him out Tsunade? I'd like to congratulate him on tricking my very own apprentice." A sinister smile spread across his face as he placed a small knife over Sakura's throat.

'_I thought we were done trying to slice my throat open?!' _Sakura growled at the knife that placed its cold metal self against her already cut throat. She was not enjoying the idea of her throat being sliced opened.

Orochimaru didn't have to say another word for a body covered in a familiar beaten, bloody, cloak jumped down from the ceiling and landed gracefully next to Tsunade.

"Looks like you didn't train Kabuto very well Orochimaru. Here I thought the best observer in the country would be able to pass down his skills." Jiraiya said with a snort as he swung his arm over the spy's shoulders.

'_Oh she's taller than Sakura.' _He thought uncomfortably not liking how the woman's height wasn't as short as Sakura's.

Orochimaru nodded his head. "Indeed." He turned his attention to the spy covered in black. "You're very skilled young man. I've never seen a person with such accuracy and unbelievable skill in stealth."

"Not as confident anymore are you Orochimaru?" Kakashi commented as he stood next to Tsunade's spy a thankful expression on his face.

Orochimaru shrugged his shoulders and tightened his hold on Sakura, making everyone tense at her growling. A wicked chuckle escaped his lips as he studied the top of the young woman's head that was below him. "It seems that I still have a leg up Kakashi…though…I don't see what all the fuss is about over a simple servant."

Everyone watched as Orochimaru violently threw Sakura down to the ground. "I don't see anything exciting about her." He eyed the petite woman as she effortlessly twirled on the balls of her feet and faced the man that tried to throw her to the ground.

"Does it matter? Hand her over." Itachi growled out. The change in events made him anxious to have Sakura back by his side, away from any danger, where he could properly protect her. He didn't have to worry about any tedious scenarios, he could concentrate on driving his sword into Orochimaru's chest.

Sakura didn't move from her spot. Her emerald eyes followed him as he circled around her like a shark before he killed his prey. Orochimaru stopped circling around Sakura and turned his body to face the spy.

"Tsunade's apprentice…I'll make a deal with you."

The spy looked at Sakura then at Orochimaru. _'Hope you know what you're doing Forehead.' _They thought to themselves as their throat cleared.

"And what would that be?" Their deep voice asked.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at her apprentice. _'I hope you know what you're doing Sakura. Orochimaru is not the ideal person to play with.'_

Iruka looked at the spy Jiraiya had his arm wrapped around. _'When did Sakura grab Ino to join in?' _Sakura's extensive plan was becoming more and more diverse with every passing second.

Itachi stared at the spy. _'Their voice is too high to be Tsunade's apprentice…but why would he send someone else in his place?' _His eyes turned to the frozen Sakura on the high step. _'Does she know what is going on?'_

"Mother…that doesn't sound like Tsunade's apprentice." Sasuke whispered to Mikoto.

Mikoto and Fugaku looked to their youngest son, they noticed it too. "I don't think that is him Sasuke." Mikoto softly said.

"Then why is that brat hiding?" Fugaku growled to himself. _'He's afraid of his own doom. Spies are always cowards. They never can accept their fate like a real soldier can.'_

"He must have a plan up his sleeve." Kakashi said, placing all his trust in the only person that could save his daughter. _'Don't worry Sakura; we will get you out of there.'_

Orochimaru walked over to Sakura and roughly pulled her by her long hair. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brushed her pony tailed hair to the other side of her neck. "I'll give her up if you join me. It seems your friends have strong feelings for this little woman."

Ino studied her best friend as she blinked slowly in her direction. _'I can't believe I'm doing this. You owe me one Forehead!'_

"Why would I join you? You can kill her for all I care. She means nothing to me." The deep voice said emotionlessly with a shake of their hand.

Every person around Ino froze in their spots. The air became cold as a crash of thunder and lightning echoed through the silent room. The bay windows lit up with a yellow glow as the lightning blade flew through the air. The light made the room bright for a split second before the dim candles were the only remaining source of light. The thunder shook the very ground everyone was standing on.

'_That stupid spy! Does he not understand what he's doing?!' _Kakashi placed his shaking hand on the handle of his sword. He needed to do something and fast before Sakura ended up hurt!

Mikoto glared at the fake spy. _'How could they throw Sakura to the devil like that? What did she ever do to him? Tsunade's apprentice actually cared for Sakura! How can he send his friend in his place?! He knows nothing of Sakura!' _Her sad eyes turned towards to Sakura. _'This is not what I wanted to happen to you Sakura…I'm…I'm so sorry.'_

Fugaku smirked at the idea of Sakura finally getting the punishment she deserved. _'If I had to choose between the spy and this infested servant to die I would choose that pink haired wench. I think I like this new spy.'_

Jiraiya, Iruka, and Tsunade stared at Ino with wide eyes. They couldn't figure out what was going on. Jiraiya shot Tsunade a look and Tsunade had to bite back her resentment for Ino. She knew Sakura made Ino say those words but all they could now was wait to see Sakura's plan unravel.

Itachi clenched his fists at his side. He couldn't take much more of Sakura's life being gambled away by the wrong people. He needed to be the one that decided Sakura's fate, if was able to, he would have already had her safely next to him. _'Orochimaru and that spy will wish they've never involved Sakura in their own personal gambling.'_

Orochimaru dropped his miniscule knife and unsheathed his sword. The intimidating sword was placed against Sakura's throat. "Well…I guess since you don't need her…then why is she still breathing?" He asked as the sword pressed against Sakura's throat with more force.

'_I guess this pink haired woman didn't give me the leverage I was looking for…wait a minute…pink hair?' _Before Orochimaru sliced Sakura's throat opened his grip slacked against the sword.

"What is he doing?" Iruka whispered to Tsunade.

She, however, simply shrugged her shoulders. "That's a good question Iruka."

"He doesn't want to kill her." Jiraiya answered with a confused look on his face.

"That's odd." Ino said in her deep voice. _'I didn't think he would remember Forehead?'_

"But just a second ago he wanted her dead." Mikoto chocked out as she wiped her tears away from her eyes.

"That's what makes no sense…he must have figured something out." Kakashi said as his anticipation grew.

"Like what?" Itachi blurted into the conversation as he watched the scene with tensed muscles.

"Who knows…that man has a very twisted mind." Tsunade concluded, her forehead crinkled in confusion at the change in faith.

Their conversation stopped as Orochimaru returned his sword back into his holster and twirled Sakura around. "Why do you look familiar?" He growled out.

"Sakura knows him?" Sasuke asked confusingly.

"No, she's never seen this man in her life. It would be impossible for her to know him." Mikoto said as her hands clamped around her mouth in worry. _'Unless! Sakura met him whenever she would be roaming around the city!'_

"But he knows her." Itachi said watching Orochimaru's actions with a murderous eye.

"How?" Kakashi coughed out. _'Nothing is making sense…how could he know Sakura?'_

"Be on your guard men. There is no telling what he is thinking." Tsunade growled out. _'Sakura what are you doing?!'_

"So you do recognize me?" Sakura said with a smirk. _'Finally! It would be a shame to kill a man if he didn't remember me.'_

Orochimaru brought his hand to his chin and stroked it attentively. He tried to figure where he had seen this woman before. "You have unmistakable pink hair…" His yellow eyes locked with murderous emerald eyes.

A gasp escaped his mouth while a smirk replaced his shocked face. "Those eyes…I've seen those before."

Sakura nodded her head as she began to follow Orochimaru in his circling. "And what exactly do you remember?" She growled out.

"Tsunade do you know what's going on?" Jiraiya whispered.

"No... I don't"

"Where has he seen Sakura before?" Mikoto reached out to her husband using him to hold her up. All the suspense and murderous air was causing her to grow weak.

"This is very strange." Kakashi couldn't wrap his brain around where Orochimaru could have seen Sakura before. _'Rin is the only other person with emerald eyes like Sakura…but if that's the case then where did Orochimaru see Rin…'_

Itachi felt his blood simmer inside his body. He couldn't hold back anymore! He needed to jump up there and cut the snake man into pieces! _'I've waited long enough!' _He grabbed the handle of his sword and took several steps towards Orochimaru.

Everyone stopped their side conversations when they saw the irked Uchiha stomp his way to Orochimaru. Itachi didn't get far, however, because a cloak covered hand stopped him in mid-step.

"You shouldn't interfere with it Uchiha; Sakura knows what she's doing."

Itachi reluctantly turned his head away from Sakura and glared at Ino that blocked his path. "You can not stop me." He growled, "I will stop this."

The spy inwardly smirked at the infuriated man. _'Well Forehead looks like you've been holding out on me in details about Itachi! I knew he liked you…but damn! You didn't tell me he was __**this**__ head over heels for you!'_

"I can. And I will." She grabbed hold of Itachi's shirt and tossed him far away from the platform. "Just sit back and watch, for once in your life, be patient. Sakura isn't as helpless as you all think."

Before Itachi tried to get back to his feet and to the platform, Orochimaru's cackle filled his ear drums. The bone chilling laugh made every person's blood run cold.

"You were that little girl…in that house." His smirk grew wider as he unsheathed his sword, once again.

In a split second his mouth was next to Sakura's ear. Her stiffened body did not move as his rotten breath fanned against her ear. "That woman…what was her name…oh yes Rin. She tried hiding you in the closet to keep you away from me. Did you two think I wouldn't notice? How did it feel to watch the slow painful death? I will say your mother's skin was so smooth...making my stabs thrust through her body with ease. My sword absolutely loved her blood and it tasted very good." His tongue flickered against the cut on her throat. "And I have no doubt that yours will taste the same."

Sakura shook with anger as Orochimaru teased her with his words. "You bastard!" She yelled out as she curled her hand into a fist and punched him across the face.

A bone shattering crack came from her punch. Orochimaru jumped back from Sakura and covered his face with his hands. "You are just like your mother. Feisty. Angry. Just the way I like them." He finished with a smirk as he moved his hands away from his face.

The blood from his broken nose dripped down his face and trailed down his white undershirt. "To think I will have the opportunity to fight the spitting image of her!" He brought his hand to the broken bone and snapped it back into place. "I can't wait."

"You will not fight anyone Orochimaru! You're fight is not with Sakura. It is with Tsunade." Kakashi said.

The twisted man turned from Sakura to the raging man below him. An innocent smile replaced his smirk as he walked down to Kakashi. "Oh but Kakashi! How could you say that?!"

Sakura felt her blood run cold as he got close to her father. _'You will stay away from him! I lost one parent from you Orochimaru I will __**not **__loose Kakashi! This time I am old enough to defend them. I am no longer the helpless little girl I once was!'_

"What do you mean?" He asked eyes narrowed suspiciously at the man that walked towards him.

Orochimaru turned his head to the still frozen Sakura. "I would have never noticed the resemblance until I really looked at her."

Kakashi tensed at Orochimaru's words. "I don't know what you're talking about." He took a step back as the slithering man stopped at the base of the platform he jumped from.

Orochimaru placed his hand over his heart. "Oh Kakashi how can you not see it?" He inched his body closer to Kakashi hoping to grab his face and place it between his hands.

Sakura looked around the area for a weapon. _'Oh no you don't!' _She looked down to see the forgotten rotting Kabuto. His dead carcass smell filled her nose as she scanned his body for a weapon. It wasn't until another lightning bolt made his sword tied around his hip reflected in the light. _'Perfect!' _

Without wasting anymore time Sakura yanked Kabuto's sword from his clothing and jumped off the high step. Her body flipped into the air and she landed gracefully on her feet, in-between Orochimaru and Kakashi.

"Back away Orochimaru." She growled out as she placed the sword protectively in front of her and Kakashi.

Jiraiya, Iruka, and Tsunade were tempted to slap their hands against their foreheads. This was not going the way they have hoped.

"What is Sakura doing?" Jiraiya said with a groan.

Tsunade had to smile at her thick-headed apprentice. "I told you Jiraiya, she'd tell Kakashi when the time was right."

Iruka stared wide eyed. "She couldn't possibly be saying it now could she?!"

"She isn't specifically telling him Iruka. She is protecting him with what she can. She feels as if it is the only way she can repay him." Ino said with a sad voice.

"I hope she knows what she's getting herself into."

Iruka sighed. "All we can do Jiraiya is hope."

Orochimaru threw his head back and snickered at Sakura's comment. "Like father like daughter huh Kakashi? She is a real spitfire. Just like Rin."

The Uchiha's and Kakashi froze on the spot. Kakashi looked down at his fired up daughter, watching for her reaction, but when her defensive stance did not waver, he figured she wasn't going to give one.

Sasuke stared at their family friend and Sakura. "He's Sakura's Dad?! That's impossible!"

Fugaku growled at the newly released information. _'That little brat is Kakashi's offspring?! How is that possible?! She is nothing like Kakashi or Rin.' _Every hit and punch he placed on Sakura in Kakashi's presence made him ashamed. _'He saw me hit his daughter and yet he didn't do anything about it.' _He looked at his old friend and felt a strange sense of pity cross his heart. _'Kakashi was protecting the wench from his enemies.' _

Mikoto stared at Sakura with a small smile. Her long hunt to finding Sakura's parents was over. _'Kakashi is her father...that would make sense as to why Sakura was never claimed. Rin died a year before Sakura's training was complete.' _The realization of not having to give Sakura up made her overjoyed. _'Kakashi knows of Itachi's feelings for Sakura! He won't take Sakura away from Kohana…but…does Sakura know about any of this?' _

Itachi felt his anger slip away at the new released information. _'Sakura…is Kakashi's daughter?' _He looked to his teacher with accepting eyes. _'It makes sense. All his movements around her, all his words, his actions…they fit together. I won't have to prove myself to Sakura's family. Kakashi already knows I'm capable of protecting Sakura.' _He watched Sakura stand unmoving in front of her father. _'She doesn't seem surprised…why?'_ His eyes narrowed at the mysterious pink haired woman. _'She knows something…'_

"You will leave my father alone Orochimaru." Sakura hissed out as she poked her sword forward at his advancing steps.

Kakashi didn't look at anyone else but his daughter. _'The way she calmly took his outburst, her willingness to defend me…it's as if she has already accepted the facts.' _His eyes widened at the realization. _'The reason why she's accepting is because…'_ "You've known this. You have already accepted the facts." He said out loud.

Sakura nodded her head, not taking her eyes off of her target. "Come on Kakashi, you think curiosity wouldn't get the better of me at some point?" She finished with a smile.

"When did you find out?" He crossed his fingers hoping it was very recent and not her whole life. _'If she knew all her life I would be labeled the worse father in all of Fire Country.'_

She clicked her tongue against he roof of her mouth in thought. "You weren't the only one that was delayed in finding out information Kakashi."

Kakashi smiled down at his smart daughter. _'You were right Rin…she is a bright one.' _"I guess you have a point Sakura."

"Oh I love family reunions!" Orochimaru interjected as he clasped his hands together in a dramatic manner.

"Fuck you." Sakura snarled out as she spit at his feet. "You destroy families."

Orochimaru lowered his head to Sakura's level and shot her a simple smirk. "You never did answer my question Sakura…how did it feel to watch me murder your mother? Did you love the way her blood squirted out of her lifeless body and decorated your walls with her crimson blood? I personally loved the fight she put up against me. She was not very strong…but she did surprise me with some of her medical knowledge. I still don't know how you managed to slip into the house without my guards detecting you."

Orochimaru's confession left the room as silent as death. Kakashi felt his world come crashing down on him. _'Orochimaru killed Rin…' _He looked to the fuming Sakura as he heart sank lower. _'Sakura watched Rin die by this man's hands. How could I have let that happen?! They told me Rin died on a mission. How could they have let this monster roam the world for so long?!' _The desire to kill the malevolence man pounded away at Kakashi. _'I will not allow them to make that mistake again Rin. I will redeem myself for not looking into your death and for leaving Sakura to carry that burden.'_

Jiraiya's jaw dropped to the floor. "Orochimaru killed Rin?!"

"That bastard." Tsunade growled out as hidden fury flowed through her veins.

"I thought Rin died from a mission?" Iruka stated confusingly. _'It would be impossible for Orochimaru to kill Rin if she was away on a mission.'_

Tsunade nodded her head. "That was the only possible solution when she never recorded her return. Her body was never found, what more could we have said happened?"

Mikoto let her tears stream down her face. "Poor Sakura. She solemnly watched Rin's murder without anyone to comfort her." The memories of Sakura's distressed mood from several years ago flashed through Mikoto's mind. _'It was how Sakura dealt with Rin's death…why didn't she tell me?' _The idea that Sakura kept her sorrow to herself distressed Mikoto even more.

Itachi couldn't take his eyes off Sakura. She was a stronger woman than he originally thought; she survived life without a family, watched a murder and still continued to live her life with a smile on her face. _'My theories could not have competed with the truth. She is out of this world.' _He felt his emotions break loose of the iron chest that locked them away. Itachi felt the desire to protect Sakura grow immensely. _'You are not alone anymore Sakura. You don't need to take everything on your own. I will take your burdens and make them my own.'_

Sakura grinded her teeth against each other as new intense anger pumped through her veins. "You want to know what I thought?!" She raised her sword and struck it down on unsuspecting Orochimaru. The sword made a long shallow cut appear across his bicep. "You're a murderer! You took my mother's life away for your own entertainment! You never would have expected that I would come after you did you?! You think I'd sit back and let you get away with what you did to her?! What you did to my family?! Never!"

Orochimaru smirked at her battle cry. "Is that a challenge then?"

"Yes Orochimaru. I will fight you to the death! And I will kill you exactly how you killed my mother!"

Tsunade tensed at Sakura's words. _'Sakura! You can't do this alone! He will kill you!'_

"Stand down Sakura!" Tsunade yelled as she took a step towards her fuming apprentice.

Everyone watched as Tsunade stopped a few feet away from Sakura. Their eyes never leaving the soon to be argument that was about to erupt.

Sakura side glanced at her mentor. "No Tsunade. I can do this. Trust me."

Orochimaru tilted his head to the side in wonderment. "Why would you stop such a battle Tsunade? I'm sure it will be quite entertaining."

Tsunade dug her hands against her side. "Sakura I said stand down and that's final!"

Sakura turned herself away from Orochimaru and glared at Tsunade. "No! I have to do this! Don't you understand Tsunade?! He killed my mother! He killed your friend! She would want you to let me fight him!"

Tsunade's shaking body was enough to tell anyone that the big busted blonde woman's patience was wearing thin. "Sakura…" She took a big gulp as the words escaped from her mouth. _'This is the only way she will listen to me. For years I've watched Sakura succeed and grow but now she needs to understand the predicament that she has placed herself in.' _

"…as your mentor I command you to stand down!" She yelled out one final time.

Sakura's jaw dropped to the ground out of pure shock. "Tsunade…"

Orochimaru's smirk set into a firm line. "Mentor?" He looked to the gaping Sakura and grabbed her by the shoulder. "You are her apprentice?!"

Sakura struggled against his grasp. "Let me go!"

His icy cold hands trailed up her arm and grabbed onto her right sleeve. _'Impossible…this little woman couldn't possibly be…'_

Sakura closed her eyes as she heard a rip come from her dress. When she opened them wide she was greeted with a gasping Orochimaru. She looked down at her shoulder to see her bandaged wound revealed to the world.

"You were the spy that Kabuto tried to shoot down." He took a step back and brought his sword closer to his body. He shot Tsunade an angered glare. "You have kept a very skilled opponent away from me Tsunade. Shame on you." He took a second look at the bandaged wound. "For a woman you take pain, blood, and gore very seriously. I like it." His menacing smirk came back on his face.

Jiraiya smacked his hand against his forehead. "This isn't good."

Iruka shook his head. "Not good at all."

Kakashi stared wide eyed at his daughter, another little fact revealed. _'I knew she was hiding something…but to be Tsunade's spy…I trained my own daughter to kill! She was the one that saved me during our fight against the rogues. She killed those men without a blink of an eye. Her heartless cutting was so brutal I would have never guessed it was her! The very climate I wanted her to escape…she entered anyways.' _He turned his angry eyes to the blonde woman. "I told you **not **to bring Sakura into this line of work!"

Tsunade leaned back and snorted in Kakashi's direction. "You were a little late on that request Kakashi! Sakura has been my student since she was twelve years old!"

"Tsunade…how could you drag Sakura into such a dark line of work?" Mikoto said softly as her heart sank to her chest. _'All those times she snuck out of the castle…she wasn't exploring the town…she was training with Tsunade to become the very person that sent shivers up my spine.' _She eyed Sakura with stunned eyes. _'All this time I thought the spy was dragging Sakura into his line of work…when in reality…Sakura signed herself away to the job long before then.'_

Iruka walked over to the struggling Mikoto. "Please Mikoto you have to understand. Sakura showed exceptional skills that stuck out to Tsunade. Tsunade would have never let anything horrible come to Sakura. She noticed Sakura lack of family and she wanted to give Sakura just that."

Mikoto slowly nodded her head; some of the reasons were clear in her mind. "But did she have to bring her into the dark world at such a young age?"

"Sakura entered that dark world a long time ago Mikoto." Jiraiya said sadly.

"She's the crazy spy that I saw in the interrogation room." Sasuke blurted out as the information hit his ears. He turned to Sakura with perplexed eyes opened wide. "Since when were you a spy?!" The rumors of the spy's fighting style and Sakura's own fighting began to make sense to him. "That's cool!"

Fugaku pulled Sasuke away from Sakura. "No Sasuke that is not cool. Spies are tricky people that twist information to get what they want." His eyes flickered to Sakura as all the spy's insults came flooding back into his mind. "You were the ungrateful brat that bashed me! How dare you! You had no right!"

"What did you expect Fugaku? You bashed her line of work." Tsunade growled out. "You're lucky I didn't let her attack you."

"Watch your tongue woman! You might be a spy but you're still a woman!"

Mikoto looked away, ashamed of her husband's outburst. She looked over to her eldest son, who was lost in thought. A small smile crossed her face once again. _'He has finally accepting his feelings for Sakura…and now…he's accepting Sakura as the real person she is.' _She couldn't voice how happy she was for her son. Even with the strange circumstances, she found it very calming to know the whole truth of Sakura.

Itachi felt his world crumble underneath him. She was a spy. She was **the** spy. She was the one that he punched, insulted, and even threatened. He fought her! He was the one that gave her the wound in her shoulder…not the street fighting! _'All her clever comebacks and innuendos about herself meant nothing…I was never going to lose Sakura to another man because she was that man. She sat there and took everything we have ever said and yet she didn't hold it against us. She knows how to kill…she was the dangerous spy that Kakashi trained. She threw herself into battle without a second thought and found excitement in watching their bodies drop to the ground.' _All her behavior, her bravery, her views and actions made sense to him.

He thought his feelings would vanish after this little bit of news…but for a reason unbeknown to Itachi, his feelings grew. She was stronger than he thought, she was a worthy opponent, she could take a fight, and she **liked **to fight. _'She doesn't belong in this castle. She never did. She belongs outside…in the world where the sky is the limit.' _He discovered new respect for the woman that he has come to love. _'I will do everything in my power to give you the life you desire Sakura.'_

Sakura sighed as she took in everyone's reactions. "I am who I am! Kakashi you couldn't have kept me from this life, I choose this path without any influences. Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka became my family when you weren't there. It's hard to hear that, I know, but you can't tell me everything I am allowed and not allowed to do." She turned to Mikoto and gave her a soft smile. "You have always been nice to me Mikoto…but I never had the heart to tell you what I did once the sun hid behind the horizon. I knew you'd feel awful and blame yourself but you shouldn't." Her body twisted around to Sasuke and Fugaku. "Sasuke I was only scary because I wanted to see your reaction…as I've noticed….you seem to be excited by it. Fugaku **do not** speak to my mentor like that! If you weren't the King I would have killed you before I'd kill Orochimaru."

She took a deep breath in as she tried to tame her anger that began to spark wildly inside her. She looked to Itachi to see how he had taken the news. His jaw line was relaxed as his onyx eyes showed the lack of emotions like usual. When he nodded in her direction she knew he wasn't ashamed of what she was…rather…he accepted it. _'He…he doesn't care?' _The idea of running to him and tackling the sonic man into a hug was a desperate desire for Sakura, but a cough from behind her brought her back to the real world.

"Enough!" Orochimaru raised his sword and extended it out towards Sakura. "You will battle me Sakura. If I win you will join my team."

Sakura's emotions came to a dead halt. Her warm emotions were replaced by revenge. There was nothing she wanted more than to see the man before her choke in his own blood. "And if I win?"

Orochimaru cackled darkly as he took a step closer in her direction. "You will not win."

Sakura narrowed her eyes at him. "We'll see about that!"

Tsunade shook her head and threw her arms up in the air. "I can't control her sometimes. I give up!"

"Kick his ass Forehead!" Ino shouted from the side lines.

Sakura side glanced at her friend as she thrusted her sword in Orochimaru's direction. "Ino! I thought I told you to stop calling me that?!"

Ino giggled as she threw the smelling cloak off her body, revealing her leather dress and leather sandals. "Oh come on Forehead! Stop talking and kick some ass!" She shouted back as she flinched at the loud clash of metal.

Mikoto turned on her heel and stared, gaping, at Ino. "Ino! You're a spy too?! Does your mother know this?"

Ino wrapped her arm around the shocked Mikoto in a friendly manner. "I wouldn't have thought of being a spy if Sakura didn't show me how exciting it was! And of course my mother knows! Our family has a unique spying skill. Being a spy…well…it runs in the family." She finished with a smile.

"Is everyone a spy now?" Mikoto sighed and shook her head at all the new information. "This is all too much to process."

"Ino is right." Jiraiya said. "Show him what you got Sakura!" He cheered her on as Sakura threw herself at Orochimaru.

Orochimaru side stepped and elbowed her in the gut. Sakura felt the wind being knocked out of her as he grabbed onto her dress and flipped her over his head. As her body flew through the air Orochimaru sent his sword towards Sakura's back. Sakura watched his shadow extend the sword towards her unsuspecting back.

"Oh no you don't!" She shouted as she used zero gravity to twirl herself in the right direction.

Her sword was positioned to the side of her, blocking Orochimaru's sneaky thrust. Her body began to fall to the ground and Sakura had to act fast. With a loud grunt she pushed his sword away from her and she crashed on top of a table.

The glass dishes and cups shattered against Sakura's body and broke from the amount of force applied on the table. Sakura allowed her body to drop to the ground, using the table top to shield herself from the splitting wood.

"Think fast Sakura!" Orochimaru hissed out as he towered over her and sent his sword down on her.

Sakura grabbed one of the wooden legs with her legs and kicked it into the air. "Why don't you take your own advice Orochimaru!" She yelled at him as she slipped between his legs and jumped into the air.

Orochimaru turned around to see the pink haired woman kick the wooden leg into his abdomen. The sudden jolt of pain made him release his sword and the wooden leg pushed the twisted snake down to the ground.

Sakura moved away from the broken table and hovered over the fallen Orochimaru. The wood sliced through his expensive black vest and white undershirt. Pieces of wood stuck into his chest, making his blood seep from the injuries.

"How exciting!" He thought with a squeal as he pulled every piece of wood out of his chest.

"Check mate." She said as she pressed the tip of her blade against his throat.

"Nice job Sakura!" Sasuke cheered.

Sakura felt a smirk flash across her face. She had her family, her friends, and everyone else to witness how strong she was. No one would be able to say she was helpless or weak.

Orochimaru chuckled at his predicament. "Oh really Sakura?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side. He sat there relaxed and limp. She could see nothing that he could do to change their fight. _'What is he talking about?'_

Orochimaru snaked his hands to his side as he gave his opponent an innocent smile. _'Let's put your determination to the test my little flower.' _He thought to himself.

Before Sakura could read his motions his hand pulled out a sharp object and shoved it deep into Sakura's previous wound.

"AHH!" She screamed out in pain as her sword dropped from her hand.

The sneaky man jumped away, taking Sakura's grieving cries time to find his own weapon. Sakura leaned forward as she applied pressure to her throbbing shoulder. _'That bastard!'_

"Oh no! Sakura!" Mikoto gasped out as she watched her bend over in pain.

"Stand up! He's coming back!" Kakashi yelled as his eyes watched Orochimaru run to Sakura and place the tip of his sword on her back.

"She has to do something!" Sasuke yelled.

"But what can she do? She's bleeding and wounded. Once her main arm is shot how can she wield a weapon?" Jiraiya couldn't see his friend escaping this sticky situation.

"Checkmate." Orochimaru said to Sakura with a giggle behind his words.

Sakura's breathing turned rugged as she tried to collect her thoughts. The pain was unbearable but the sight of her blood sliding down her arm and dripped off her finger tips reminded her of the room she fell into in his lair. _'That man has killed so many men for fun. I have to give him the pain he deserves!'_

Without another word Sakura picked up her sword with her left hand and pushed it away from her back. She took a deep breath in before she shifted the sword back into her right hand. The horrible pain shot through her, but she swallowed it down. The charging malevolent man was not giving her time to catch her breath.

Orochimaru held his sword tightly as an angry growl emitted from the back of his throat. He didn't give Sakura time to catch her breath and he sliced way towards Sakura. His powerful swings crashed down onto Sakura, she used more of her body to absorb the impact of his blows. Her sword was the only object separating her body from the sword that desperately wanted to kill her. _'I have to put some space in-between us otherwise he will kill me with his size.'_

She pushed up on her sword using her own weight to throw Orochimaru off her. His body flew across the room, his boots slid across the marble floor, making him stop before he hit another table.

The royals that were near the fight hurriedly ran to the other side, trying to clear the battlefield that the two of them were beginning to make. No one wanted to be in the cross fire of their swinging swords, one good slice and they wouldn't see the next sunrise.

Sakura didn't let up her attacks even though her shoulder protested. She could feel the blood continue to pour out of the opened wound, if she wanted to heal the wound she needed to paralyze the man. _'But how am I doing to do that?'_

She slid her body back from another blow and jumped high into the air. She twisted her sword over her head and she used her propelled body to make Orochimaru hold her body in the air. Orochimaru dropped to his knees at the added weight at the other end of his sword. Sakura's forceful lunge was stronger than he anticipated.

Her body stayed perfectly aligned with the sword as she moved her body to swipe her sword underneath his. Orochimaru saw her attempt and tossed her over his head. Her body flew to the wall as it bounced off the stone wall. The rough surface made Sakura's body have a dozen of scrapes. She didn't move as her body dropped to the ground with a bone crushing thud.

She heard his calm steps click against the floor. _'I have some time to patch this wound.' _She reached inside her dress to pull out the bandages she stole from Anko. With as much speed as she possessed she wrapped the white feather-like material against her bleeding wound. _'That should do it for now.' _She thought as the last of the material covered her bigger wound.

"You're a slippery one. I always did like a chase." Orochimaru said with a grin.

Even though Sakura's back was to the man she heard the sword being lifted above his head. _'He's gonna try and puncture my stomach with it! Gah! Move Sakura move!' _She yelled at herself as she grabbed her sword and rolled out of the way.

"Stay still you wench!" Orochimaru yelled as he reached into his other holster and began to wield another sword thinking the additional weapons would help him cut her down to size.

Their audience watched as the flash of pink skillfully dodged every swipe the two swords made in her direction. Sakura used her only sword to compete with the dueling swords that whizzed by her every chance they could.

Sakura jumped up onto into the air, dodging another blow to her side, and balanced herself onto one of the larger dinner tables. Orochimaru jumped onto the opposite end of the table and their sword fight continued. He crossed his arms and sent his precious swords towards a cornered Sakura. Her skillful eyes watched the swords path for an opening.

'_If I wait long enough I can jump through them and send the table flying in the opposite direction.' _As her plan was formed in her mind she waited patiently for the swords to come at her.

"Move out of there Forehead!" Ino yelled.

"What is she doing? She has to move now!" Iruka yelled worried that Sakura's injuries were becoming too great.

"She has a plan." Kakashi said as he watched his daughter stand her ground.

"It better work…otherwise Sakura will be sliced to pieces." Jiraiya said the anticipation began to kill him.

Orochimaru grinned at the unmoving Sakura. Her chest heaved up and down as her eyes lazily watched his swords come at her. He could already taste victory.

'_One…two…three!' _Sakura counted as the swords closed in on her. Right as the two swords were merely inches away from her, Sakura slid her body in-between the space the two swords made, head first arms outstretched wide.

Orochimaru watched as she slid between his swords. He couldn't stop his momentum as his body continued to soar towards the still standing china. The breaking of glass filled the area, cutting his hands and arms. Sakura extended her hands out and balanced her body into a hand-stand position. She lowered herself towards the table cloth, much like an up-right push up, and then pushed her body into the air.

Everyone watched as the table Orochimaru was on leaned to one side from the sudden weight change. Sakura landed on all fours and picked up the sharp knives at her table. _'Let's see you dodge these!' _She waited for the man to flip his weight to the other side of the table before she violently threw them at his body.

While Orochimaru was too busy trying to balance himself on the table, he didn't notice the four knives that were speeding towards him. "AHH!!" He screamed out loud as he jumped to his feet.

His angered yellow eyes glared at Sakura. "You little bitch!" He searched his body for the four knives to see two in each arm. Sakura smirk told him he was in trouble. He studied the position of the knives to see them lodged in ball in socket joint.

"You will pay for that." He shouted, knowing full well that if he pulled out the knives he would either die of blood loss or his arms would be completely ripped off.

"You trained her well Kakashi." Tsunade side commented as her eyes never left the battlefield.

"…I only hope it was well enough." His only wish was that he never stopped training with Sakura. _'If I knew she would be fighting Orochimaru I would have trained her harder…who am I kidding…I wouldn't have trained her at all.'_

"Why can't we join the fight?!" Sasuke roared as Orochimaru used his speed to flip Sakura's table out from underneath her. The glass plates and drinking cups shattered against Sakura, leaving her face the only body part without bleeding cuts.

Itachi twitched at the sight of Sakura's blood. She automatically jumped to her feet and charged back into the battle. Her actions never faltered as she ran through a series of sword techniques. "We don't know if he has more plans up his sleeve. If we interfere now…he might kill us all." The realization that he could not help Sakura crushed him but if he wanted her to have a fighting chance he needed to stay out of the fight. That was harder for him to accept than he thought.

"Itachi is right…Sakura is on her own." Jiraiya said with a heavy heart.

Sakura's clothes were torn to shreds; the only areas that the cloth covered were her most private areas. Holes in the dress showed Sakura's cut and bruised skin. The dry blood was scattered across her body as new injuries from Orochimaru's slices began to cover her worn out body.

Metal clashed against metal as the two of them continued to dance around the room with their swords. Sakura's eyes scanned the area for an idea to bring this man a fatal blow. _'There has to be something in here…' _

Her observing skills kicked in as she subconsciously dodged each of his blows. After she studied his thrusts and jabs she realized his fighting pattern. With her mind able to fully concentrate on her new task an item in the room caught her eye. _'Perfect.'_

The rumble of the thunderstorm and the pattering sound of the rain pounding on the roof filled the room's atmosphere. It was a dark and intense battle that no one could bring their attention away from.

Sakura continued fight with Orochimaru as she slithered her way around the crowd. Many of the royals scattered away from the fight and fled to the other side of the room, where it was momentarily safe. The Uchiha's, Tsunade, Iruka, Jiraiya, and Kakashi did the exact opposite. They ran in the direction of the fight.

"You have impressed me Sakura." Orochimaru said as he sent another swipe to her head. "Your mother would have been dead by now, but you, you are still going strong."

"The only reason why you were able to beat her was because she was recovering from another battle." Sakura snarled out as they circled around another table. Her hands expertly grabbed several knives from the still standing tables they passed.

"Who ever said a fight had to be fair?" He said with a smirk as his pinned Sakura near a table.

Sakura stood perfectly still as he lowered his head down to her level. She narrowed her eyes at the sadistic man, making sure to not reveal anything to the man.

"Ha, ha. Oh I'm sorry little one but it looks like it's the end of the road for you."

"Over my dead body it is!" Sakura laid her back down onto the table and pushed his swords away from her face. She used the gigantic opening to pin his overly large sleeves with the knives.

She walked over to the struggling man and grabbed hold of one of his swords. "For years you've entertained your sick bastardly self by dismantling people from the inside out." She took his sword and mercilessly pushed the sword into his right arm. "Let's see how you feel when your limbs are ripped from your own body!" She roared at him.

His blood splurged out of his arms and splashed against Sakura's face. She ignored her injuries and pulled the sword upwards ripping through every bone and ligament in his arm.

"GAHH!!!" He screamed helplessly as she attacked his other arm and ripped through its ligaments and tendons.

"You don't like it do you?" She said emotionlessly as she dropped his bloody sword on the ground.

The metal crashed against the red marble floor as Sakura grabbed his limply hanging arm with her two hands. "This is for my mother!" She shouted as she ripped his arm completely out of his socket.

Everyone's eyes went wide as they watched Orochimaru's tissues and nerves hang out of his arm socket. Jiraiya looked to Tsunade with a frightened look.

"Remind me to stay on Sakura's good side."

Tsunade chuckled at Jiraiya's joke. "You knew she never held back."

"But this is insane Tsunade." Iruka said not being able to bring his eyes away from the twitching arm that laid next to Orochimaru's legs.

"This is for all those innocent men that you tortured!" Sakura's voice cut through their conversation as she violently grabbed his other arm and proceeded to yank it from its mounted area.

"AHHHH!!!!" Orochimaru cried out as his body shivered from the bone that was being pulled from its socket.

"Sakura isn't letting up…" Mikoto said as she almost vomited in her mouth from the amount of blood that exited his body.

"That's the merciless spy side of Sakura." Itachi said to his mother.

"She's crazy!" Sasuke said, eyes wide, as Sakura took Orochimaru's last arm and slammed it down onto the ground.

"With all that pent up revenge she needed to let it out somehow." Kakashi said as a shiver of fear crawled up his spine. _'She's a ruthless killer alright…it's almost intimidating.'_

Sakura's chest rose up and down as her unreleased anger began to diminish. She looked at the twitching arms with a satisfied grin on her face.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Orochimaru began to laugh as his painful shock slowly subsided.

Sakura took a step away from the crazy man as his body shook for the laughter. His wild yellow eyes rolled in the back of his head as his laughter filled the room.

"Y-You're good." He said as he spit the excess blood in his mouth at her feet. "B-But I'm j-just getting s-started."

Sakura grabbed her own sword and brought it close to her body. _'How can he still fight?!' _Her body began to shake at the scary circumstances that she placed herself in.

Orochimaru bent down to the floor and stared at his arms. "I don't need them anyways." He brought his mouth around his bloody sword and balanced the weight in his mouth.

Sakura stared, eyes wide, as he ran towards her. She blocked every attack he made with his mouth. It amazed her that the man could still fight considering the pain he was in.

The two of them danced around the room both too tired to land a fatal blow on each other. Sakura could feel her energy dropping. _'I have to find a way to finally end his life! He can't die from anything! It's as if he is immortal!'_

She looked around the room to find any raw materials that she could use to secure her a win. The booming thunder shook the tables, causing a glass to shatter to the ground. The lightning bolt shined off the glass, catching Sakura's attention. _'What the…'_

Her body twisted out of Orochimaru's thrust and she crashed to the ground. She looked at the broken glass to see something shinning from Kabuto's pockets. _'That's it!'_

She jumped to her feet as she enticed Orochimaru to follow her around the room. "Come on you old man! You can't kill me! You're too slow!"

Orochimaru grew angry by her jeering and he increased his speed. His teeth gripped onto the sword as he expertly swung the heavy metal towards Sakura. _'This b-bitch has b-been alive f-for too l-long. I-I need t-to kill h-her!'_

Sakura lead the angered snake around the room. Her hands secretly grabbing anything she could reach. As they jumped back onto the platform she did a backbend to evade his mindless swiping. She used her position to grab what was in Kabuto's pockets. No one could figure out what Sakura as trying to do, they could only see a tried Sakura running around the room like a chicken without a head.

Sakura jogged backwards until her back hit a wall. She looked all around trying to find a way out of her cornered position. Orochimaru smirked with the sword in his mouth at her stupid tactics.

The room grew silent as the cornered Sakura stood completely still while Orochimaru rose the tip of his sword to her jugular. The sharp point scraped across her neck, drawing fresh blood to drip down her neck. "A-Any last w-words?" He managed to growl out as he leaned his body over the sword, ready to plunge the sword deep into her throat.

"No! Sakura!" Mikoto gasped as she buried her head into Fugaku's shoulder. _'This can't be happening! She can't die! She was fighting so well!'_

Kakashi felt his blood run cold. "This can't be the end…it just can't be. All that running around can't be for nothing!"

Jiraiya looked at Tsunade as the woman stood emotionless, ready for the final blow. Flashbacks for Sakura's childhood, her successes, her very first spying mission, flooded Tsunade's mind.

"Move Sakura." Itachi told himself. The woman was a fighter she could not accept her fate simply because she was cornered. _'That's not like her…she's better than this. Come on Sakura think!'_

Sakura stared deep into the murderer's eyes as she placed her hands on her hips and leaned her back against the wall in a relaxed manner. "Tell me Orochimaru…how does it feel?"

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the strange woman. "W-What do y-you mean l-little one? I h-haven't killed y-you yet. I h-haven't been a-able to s-see your p-pretty face s-scream in p-pain as I-I drive t-these sharp e-edge into y-your throat. I-I can a-answer your q-question when y-you're dead." He growled out as his breath shortened from his long statement.

Sakura shook her head and trailed her hands down her legs. "That's not what I meant Orochimaru." She rested her head on the wall as her eyes glanced up at the chandelier above her. The candle lights flickered against the crimson colored walls, their movement made her calm and serene. "How does it feel, to feel pain?"

Orochimaru didn't like her question it didn't make sense. "What d-do you…"

Sakura lifted her left hand up and stabbed it against the wall. Her knife cut the rope that was next to her. Orochimaru's chocked laugh bounced off the walls at her fruitless attempt to escape.

"A-And what w-was the p-point of t-that?"

Sakura tilted her head to the side and shrugged her shoulders inattentively. "I don't know…you tell me."

"What…" Above him Orochimaru heard a shift in the ceiling. _'What could that be?' _His head immediately looked up at the ceiling. "O-Oh no…" He said as the crystal decorated chandelier began to fall from the ceiling. Out of pure panic he tried to move out of the way. The simplest plan was to dodge the incoming light fixture but when he commanded his feet to move, they didn't. He looked down at his feet to see two needled lodged into his legs. _'What a clever little woman.' _He thought as the flashback of her back bend came to his mind.

Her strategically placed hand never made sense to him, he thought she was simply trying to keep her balance, but now it all made sense. _'She threw Kabuto's medicines into my legs and I was too driven to impale her with my sword to notice the sudden pokes in my legs.' _With anger filled eyes he glared at Sakura. No words could describe how ashamed he felt for falling for her trap. _'All that twisting and turning she put me through and I fell for it.'_

Sakura smiled innocently at the man and waved. "Bye Orochimaru." Was all she said as she slipped away from the area before the chandelier crashed down to the ground.

People watched in awe as the chandelier shattered into a billion pieces. The glass shards flew in every direction while the man underneath it became buried by the iron hardware. Sakura watched the gigantic light fall on the man that put her through so much pain.

The iron pieces stuck through the man's body as the shards sprinkled his flesh. Many people covered their eyes as his body exploded from the impact, his blood splattered across the red walls as the candles flames ceased to burn.

The Ball Room dimmed from the lack of light and Sakura knelt down to the dead man, a relived smile crossed her face. "Looks like I win Orochimaru." .

"You did it Forehead!" Ino yelled out loud as she jumped up and down in her place.

Sakura turned from the death scene and shot her close friend a smile. "It's about time huh?"

"Wait…you knew about this all along?" Mikoto asked Ino.

Ino walked over to the swaggering Sakura and brought her arm around her own shoulder. Ino helped Sakura walk over to their circle. "Sakura had to tell someone about what she saw! And I was more than willing to listen."

"But you were nine years old at the time Ino…what nine year old wants to listen to that?" Tsunade asked as she gave Sakura a proud nod.

Ino looked down at the ground. "When a friend is in trouble Tsunade you do anything to make them feel better. That's what I did."

Sakura returned Tsunade's nod and wrapped her own arm around Ion's. "And I couldn't be happier that you did Pig."

"Very nice job Sakura." Jiraiya said as he joined the new forming circle. "I knew you were going to win." He wormed his arms around Sakura and hugged her gently, making sure not to unset her wounds.

"Thanks Jiraiya." She said with her smile still brightly shinning.

Iruka waited for his turn to hug Sakura. "You had me worried there Sakura."

"Iruka is right Sakura. You gave us all quite a scare." Tsunade said with a smirk. "But I wouldn't have expected anything less from my apprentice."

Kakashi slowly walked into the circle and a small smile stretched across his face. _'She did it…she killed him.' _He took a deep breath in at the realization. _'I underestimated her. She really is something else.' _He waited until Iruka gave her space.

Ino gently removed her arm and body away from Sakura as Kakashi took his daughter into a loving embrace. His arm held her by the waist while his other arm patted her head.

"I'm proud of you Sakura. Rin would be proud of you too."

Sakura wrapped her shaking arms around her father and buried her face into his chest. "Thanks Kakashi." She said as she sniffled back a tear.

Itachi watched on the side lines as Kakashi took his wounded daughter into the long awaited family hug. _'She made one of the most notorious killers die from a chandelier.' _Any Uchiha would have been proud to claim her as theirs and the fact that she was his made pride swell in his chest. _'I have to tell her.' _

With the decision made, Itachi made his way to the circle. Tsunade and Jiraiya moved out of his way as he faced Kakashi and Sakura. Sakura heard him coming and slowly broke her hug with her father. She stared at the prince with a raised pink brow.

Fugaku growled at the heart warming sight. His own family members were congratulating the enemy! _'I don't care if she is Kakashi's kid. She does not deserve to be here.'_

He turned his head to the guards and motioned for them to follow him into the small circle of congratulating people. The guests from the Ball climbed to the tops of the three remaining tables, trying to get a better look at what the King was about to do.

"Sakura Haruno." He shouted as he pushed Jiraiya and Iruka out of his way. "By the power invested in me I place you under arrest."

Sakura's happy mood came to a crashing halt at the King's words. "Under what charges?" She growled out.

"Treason." Fugaku turned to the guard and nodded his head in Sakura's direction.

Mikoto ran to her husband and pulled him to face her. "She has done no such thing! You can not arrest her! She saved our lives!"

"You have no right to arrest Sakura Father." Sasuke growled out as he took a step closer to Sakura.

"She played a double agent between us and Tsunade. She hid her real identity from us. How do you expect me to trust her?"

Sakura watched as a wicked glint passed his normally emotionless eyes. _'That bastard! He just can't let me win can he?'_

Kakashi stepped in front of Sakura and the guard. "Fugaku you don't know who you're messing with. You will not arrest my daughter." He turned to the guard. "Stand down soldier. That's an order."

The guard looked between the King and Kakashi. His undying loyalty to Kakashi was stronger than his loyalty to Fugaku. He nodded his head respectfully at his boss and took a step back.

Sakura stood in complete shock as her father stood his ground in front of the King. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Iruka and Ino joined him as they all made a wall before the King.

"You will have to kill me if you want to get to Sakura." Tsunade said.

"Same goes for me." Jiraiya exclaimed.

Iruka nodded his head. "You will have to go threw all of us."

Ino snorted and spat at the King's feet. "And you wonder why we hate your ass."

Fugaku growled at the wall before him. He didn't want to kill Kakashi; he was his best assassin and Knight he could ever ask for. Then there was Tsunade and Jiraiya, they were a dangerous duo in the spying world and if he killed them every alliance he made would have his head.

"Step aside! I only want the girl. I will not kill anyone else. Save yourselves the trouble and just hand her over."

"Father you will do no such thing." Itachi ordered as he stepped away from his father and placed himself at the head of the pack.

Mikoto smiled at her son and followed his footsteps. Fugaku watched with unbelievable eyes as his wife joined the wall of protection. Sasuke didn't look back when he broke away from his father's side and stood beside his mother.

"Itachi what do you think you're doing?! Mikoto! Sasuke! This is outrageous." He shot Sakura another glare as his black eyes turned bloodthirsty red. "You are taking my family away from me!"

Itachi shook his head. "No Father. You did that all on your own. You will not touch Sakura and that is final."

Fugaku took a step towards his eldest son. "Why do you care for this woman? She is nothing but a killer."

Kakashi growled. "That is my daughter you're talking about Fugaku. I will not stand by and have you insult her any longer."

Fugaku ignored Kakashi and continued to stare at Itachi. "You don't know if she'll kill us with a flick of a finger. Look what she did to Orochimaru, a man known for his brutal ways, what makes you think she cares for any one of you?!"

Itachi raised an angered fist to Fugaku's face and with a simple stretch of his arm he sent his fist across Fugaku's face. "You have pushed my patience Father." His dull eyes watched his father shrink back a few steps. "For the last time you will leave Sakura alone and if you don't..." His eyes turned cold and his voice changed in a frozen tone. "…I will kill you."

Fugaku stood as still as stone. "Itachi you can't possibly…" His own son would kill for…for a pink haired servant! The idea infuriated him. _'That Sakura was more damaging that I thought.'_

Itachi turned his back on his father, ignoring his angered huffs of anger, his attention captured by the woman they were all trying to protect.

Kakashi took a small step away from Sakura as the Uchiha closed the distance between his daughter and himself. Ideas formed in his mind as Itachi stared at Sakura with all his attention.

Sakura watched as Itachi walked towards her with the grace that only he could possess. When Itachi was a couple feet away from her she felt her heart beat irregularly in her chest.

"Itachi…what…."

He brought his finger to her lips and snaked one arm around her waist. "For too long I've denied myself Sakura." His arm gently guided Sakura closer to him. His eyes never left hers as the words he desperately wanted to tell her flowed out of his mouth. "You were a mystery to me Sakura."

Sakura never broke his eye contact as he tried to say what was on his mind. "And now?"

Itachi flashed his famous, and breathtaking, Uchiha smirk to her asked question. He didn't give Sakura a second to guess his next move for he lowered his head and captured her bleeding lips in a passionate lip lock.

Sakura accepted his sudden kiss with open arms. She wrapped her small hands around his large neck and kissed him back with as much passion as he gave. Her exhausted body found the strength to kiss the man as hard as she could. Butterflies flew around in her stomach at the sensation of their kiss, her body no longer felt in pain.

Itachi reluctantly pulled his lips away from Sakura, afraid that the lack of oxygen would cause her more harm. His eyes never left her dazed ones as he hold around her waist tightened. "Sakura stay with me." The desperateness in his voice could not be hidden.

Mikoto gasped, Sasuke's eyes grew as wide as saucers, Iruka was speechless, Jiraiya and Ino cheered, Tsunade groaned, and Kakashi smirked.

"I told you Tsunade." Jiraiya said in a happy tone as he inwardly danced in celebration.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shut it Jiraiya. No one asked you."

Ino shook her head and wrapped a cheerful arm around her boss's shoulder. "I don't think you can deny it know Tsunade! I mean he made it blatantly obvious."

Iruka looked at his old friend. "What do you think she'll say Kakashi?"

Kakashi watched Sakura kiss the eldest Uchiha with unhidden passion. _'She's fallen in love with Itachi.' _Kakashi allowed a smile to cross his face. "I don't know Iruka. That's her to decide."

Mikoto clapped her hands together. "It's about time he finally said something to her!"

Sasuke stared at his mother with bewildered eyes. "Since when did Itachi like Sakura?!"

Sakura searched Itachi's eyes for the answer. _'He wants me to stay with him? What does he mean? Where else would I go?' _She couldn't understand the nature of his question. _'First he kisses me and now he wants me to stay with him? What…' _Then everything clicked inside Sakura's worn out head. _'He kissed me…in front of everyone. He wants me to stay with him…forever…'_

The room was filled with anticipation. Some rooted for Sakura to say yes while others found the odd match a complete mockery of the social class. None of that mattered however Sakura had to make a decision. The decision to throw away her line of work, or, to throw away her feelings for the man in her arms.

'_Which do I choose?'_

_

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TO

BE

CONTINUED

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**_Author's Note_: **FYI: 58 PAGES PEOPLE! I swear you guys make me crank out the most outrageous amounts of pages for this story :) I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! As I have said this one is my absolute favorite! I've tried very hard to make it the best I could and I hope you all really enjoyed it!

Please review and give me some feedback!

:)


	19. Chapter 19

_**Author's Note**_: I hate to say it…but… this is the final chapter in this story. I feel like I'm going to cry!! This story took a year to complete and it feels great and horrible at the same time. I wish I didn't have to end it, but there is nothing more to write after this chapter :*( I hope you all enjoy this new chapter for the last time.

Dedicated to: sodapopgirly83, jjdjd, jackie-chan1230, SasoLOVE111, Raven1123, stargazing-sweetie, MidKnight Karina, minniemousemom, Abmonkey8, White Fatalis, just-let-me-go, Otakugal, LadyPassionofHate, xXbunnyholicXx, A'den Neytiri Kad, Natalie, BlueTwilite, snorkabuziaczek, LadyYakamichi, shadow miko, kitty cullen, Hypnotized Angel, The Reveiwer known as Name, Blackrose74, nightwish635, .berri-blossom , Em-i-lo, midnightblue123, XSweetXSourXSoulX, narubby23, lloo161, sleeping itasaku fangirl, DarkMangaIza, nickeledwards, Gobi5no5Houkou, and any others that read this story to the very end :)

Please enjoy it :)

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Sakura stayed wrapped in Itachi's hold as she mulled over her predicament. _'Am I willing to give up my work for him?' _She looked around the room to see her dearest friends and family watching the scene with hope in their eyes. _'But…if I do…I can never roam the night again. I can never crawl around in the dirty parts of the world looking for ones I have to interrogate. I'll be locked away in this castle until I die…I…don't want that.'_

Itachi watched her closely as her emerald eyes receded to her thoughts. _'I can't push her on this decision. I must give her time to consider every action. I will wait for her. There is no one else I'd rather have. No one sparks my emotions like she does, no one can…dare I say it…control me like she could. The power she holds over me is scary but thrilling at the same time.'_

"Itachi…I…" He felt her bring her injured hands against his chest and try to push him away.

He ignored her pathetic attempts to push him away from her and tightened his hold around her waist as if to tell her he wasn't going to let her go. "Sakura listen…"

Sakura shook her head. She didn't want to spend the rest of her young life in a castle. _'This isn't my world. It will never be my world.' _She looked up into Itachi's onyx eyes with sorrow. She didn't want to hurt him, but they were from two different worlds. He belonged in the gold covered thrown with servants and an obedient wife that would bare him children and nothing else. Yet, she belonged with the scum of the village looking into every underground fight for the next victim that would cause her country harm. His world would not accept her into a royal society. None of the countries would take Itachi seriously with her at his side. _'The last thing I can do is bring Kohana more harm than good. They won't accept me, I know how I am and I know that if I talk to those high stuck up snobs like Fugaku, they will treat Itachi like a spec of dirt. I wouldn't allow myself to ruin his life.'_

"I don't…"

Fugaku felt the room freeze as he watched his son attach himself to the pink haired woman at his side. He practically proposing to the disobedient woman had him steaming with anger. _'What is Itachi doing?! Bringing that __**thing**__ into our family is like bringing the plague back to Kohana.' _He glared at the young woman that stood comfortably in his son's arms. _'She's a leech! She won't leave him alone. He can do much better than that. She doesn't deserve the crown. A proper princess does!'_

His angered state caused his body to stomp down onto the marble floor. His fists balled at his side and his body began to shake with the amount of disrespect Itachi was showing towards their family name.

"Itachi I object! This is preposterous!" He stood next to the couple and pulled Sakura off of him with a violent tug.

Itachi released Sakura immediately, not wanting his father to hurt Sakura even more than she already was. He gave Sakura a soft look before he glared at his own father for his disrespectful interruption.

Sakura didn't object to the separation, but Fugaku's force made her cringe as his hand crushed violently on her injured shoulder. She stood still, swallowing the pain, as Fugaku's hand held her shoulder tightly. _'He's so angered by Itachi's offer.' _She studied him through the corner of her eye. His body was shaking and his chest was heaving up and down at the rough breaths he was taking. _'He thinks Itachi is making a fool out of him, out of their family, out of everything Fugaku stands for. This is why I wouldn't fit in. They care about their image too much.' _

"Father do not make me ask you again." Itachi said in a steady tone, his red eyes never blinked as he watched his father's every move.

"She doesn't belong here Itachi! She is a spy! Her skills have nothing to do with politics or proper edict. All she knows how to do is kill others and swindle information from them! It is a useless skill for a Queen to have. I will not allow you to make a mockery of the Uchiha family!" He stepped back from Sakura and pointed an accusing finger her way. "You are nothing but trouble to my family and my country. You don't belong here. How Tsunade allowed you to be her apprentice is beyond me. You only care to make me look bad!"

The room fell silent at Fugaku's outburst. Tsunade and Jiraiya watched their young spy with worried eyes. There was no telling if Fugaku's words would sway Sakura's opinion. Mikoto and Sasuke couldn't help but stare at the eldest Uchiha with shocked eyes. The once strong and wise King was showing his true colors to the world. By his actions it was unimaginable that the quiet and kind hearted Mikoto married the ruthless and subjective Fugaku. Iruka looked back and forth between the King, Sakura, and Itachi not knowing what was going to happen. Sakura stood too still for Iruka to predict any of her actions; it was as if she was a robot. Kakashi, however, wanted to shove his employer into the stone wall and make him let Itachi defend himself. The situation was all too familiar of Rin's father immediately denying his request to take Rin's hand in marriage.

"Poor Sakura." Iruka commented to everyone as the outspoken woman stood quietly in front of them.

"Did you see Forehead though? She was backing away from him before Fugaku even came into the picture." Ino observed as she watched her best friend stand there limply. "She's not herself."

Tsunade nodded her head in agreement. "Something is making Sakura second guess which she should choose. She doesn't really know what she wants anymore."

Jiraiya shook his head back and forth denying what he was seeing. "We talked about this! Sakura is not supposed to think with her brain, but with her heart. She told me of her feelings for the Uchiha, and now when it really matters she is backing away."

Kakashi placed a calming hand on Jiraiya's shoulder. "Sakura might be thinking with her heart Jiraiya." His grey eyes studied his daughter with understanding. "She is taking in every possible event that could happen."

Sasuke thought back to all the times Itachi would defend Sakura against their livid father, he never really thought that Itachi had feelings for the crazy woman until it was announced to the world. "But isn't this what Sakura wants too? Doesn't she want Itachi?"

Mikoto grew worried when she saw Sakura become separated by her husband. _'No Sakura don't deny Itachi! He loves you; don't turn your love for him away…' _Her heart began to sink as her worst fear was about to come true.

"You would think that's what she wants…but it's as if she's too scared to decide anything." Iruka told Sasuke. _'This is a different Sakura. She really cares for Itachi and she really cares for her line of work. To pick between the two things she loves…it's a horrible choice.'_

Itachi took a step in-between his father and Sakura, making sure to block Sakura from Fugaku. "You have no say in this decision Father."

Fugaku snorted at his son's comment as his red eyes practically laughed in his face. "The only way that you could override my authority Itachi is if…" The laughter in his eyes washed away from as realization settled in.

Itachi let a smirk of his own settle across his pale face as he watched his father catch on to his plan. "…if I claim the crown." He finished.

Gasps filled the room as the royal guests watched the scene on top of their tables. No one knew what was going to happen next. The idea of the rebellious Itachi claming the thrown suddenly was unexpected. Rumors around Fire Country made it seem that Itachi was never going to give into his father's wishes, and all of a sudden he was. It was a puzzling request.

Tsunade, Iruka, Jiraiya, Ino, and Kakashi froze in their spots while Mikoto and Sasuke stared, gaping, at Itachi. The demanding outburst would surely change everything.

"Why would he claim it now? Doesn't he know that will only make Sakura want to get away from him?" Ino whispered, afraid of killing the tension. "He should know how Sakura feels about the royal stature. She'd never allow him to bring her into that line of duty."

Tsunade shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows what is going on in that man's head. At this point he's playing with the luck of the dice."

"Itachi is like Sakura. He always has a plan…but his are more…thought-out. Sakura uses what is given to her to form her plans while Itachi assumes what people do and plans his actions according to what he knows they will do."

Sasuke turned to Kakashi with a raised brow. "If he is this planned out then why is he claiming the crown now? Doesn't seem like a good plan to me." Sasuke mumbled as he crossed his arms across his chest.

"Fugaku has offered the crown to Itachi several times once before and he waits till now to claim it." Mikoto stared at her eldest son with pride and fear in her raven eyes. "He wants Fugaku to not have a say in who he marries…he waited until he was sure of Sakura's feelings before he took on the responsibility of being King. It is the only way to ensure that Itachi could marry the woman he wants to marry."

"Looks like Itachi is just as sacrificing as Sakura is. He will give up his freedom to have Sakura. He'd rather have her than his right to do whatever he wanted." Tsunade said with a light chuckle.

Fugaku glared at his son and ripped the crown from his head. The gold pointed crown shinned against the candle light as the rain subsided and the lightning seized. The night sky slowly brought out the full moon as the violent winds and storms came to a standstill. The bay windows allowed the full moon to shine even more light into the room as Fugaku was absorbed by the light, looking down at his crown that he clutched to. His red eyes stared at his beloved symbol of power and then to his betraying son.

"Now you decided to take my crown?! After all the times I've tried to make you take the responsibility? You choose now to take it?"

"Hn." Itachi answered emotionlessly as he watched Sakura from the corner of his eyes. _'Come on Sakura for once let me predict what you will do.' _His move was a dicey one but it was the only extreme that could ensure him victory.

"By law you are obliged to hand over the crown to your son Fugaku." Mikoto softly said to her husband, knowing that she was aiding her son. _'I've watched Itachi play tricks on the guards just to pick at their brains. As a mother I think I would recognize one of his schemes.'_

The reluctant growl from Fugaku startled everyone. _'Itachi just wants the crown to marry this little wench. Sure he's ready to be a King, more than King…but he __**cannot**__ have that little parasite as a wife! Hakate or not, she is not meant to rule Kohana let alone be an Uchiha! I will not welcome her into my family!'_

"Mother is right Father. Hand it over." Itachi said as he raised his hand out to take the twinkling headdress.

Fugaku slammed the crown down into his son's hands and glared at the woman behind Itachi. "You are not meant to rule my country."

Sakura watched the crown wide eyes. Itachi took the crown from Fugaku without a second thought, there was no stutter in his demand; Itachi really wanted the crown. _'Oh no, no, no. This isn't going to work.' _She took a couple steps back and shook her head vigorously from side to side.

Itachi reached out to Sakura, trying to keep her near him, but she pushed his hand away. She stopped when her back gently bumped into one of the tables with a crowd on top of them. She could feel the guests watched her from above but she could only look at the sonic Uchiha with heartbreaking eyes.

"You're Father is right Itachi. I don't belong here." She looked up at the staring royal guests and laughed lightly. "You really think that I would dress up like them?" She pointed to one of the woman's well made dress that gave her the ideal figure. She then looked down at her bloody attire with a lonely linen thread tied around her waist. "I don't even like wearing this white piece of fabric. I'm not fit to rule a Kingdom Itachi. I was made to crouch in mud and watch bastards like Orochimaru die. A castle isn't the right place for me. I would ruin you…not help you."

Sakura watched his face for a reaction, anything, that showed her that he was happy that she was leaving him…but all she saw was a twitch of his mouth.

Itachi swallowed down his emotions as Sakura gave him the much predicted speech. For the first time Itachi had predicted Sakura's decision. _'Now do it Sakura. Do what I know you will do.' _

The room was filled with gasps as Sakura turned down the hard to refuse Uchiha. The young women glared at the servant. She was walking out on the most handsome man in Fire Country! How she was able to turn her back on the man that obviously loves her did not make sense to them. Others felt the heart break in their own hearts at Sakura's denial. They watched the Uchiha Prince trying to find the heart break that Itachi should be feeling.

"She can't do that!" She walked next to her son and stared at her retorting back. "Sakura don't leave him!" Mikoto yelled out, her own heart ached at the horrible turn of events.

Tsunade walked next to the shaking Mikoto and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Sakura is entitled to her own opinion Mikoto….there isn't much we can do to change her mind."

"But this isn't how it is supposed to go." Jiraiya said, his romantic dream of the two of them escaping shattered right before his eyes.

"Sakura…what are you doing?" Ino watched the hurt in her friend's eyes. _'It's hurting her more to leave him than to stay with him. She thinks that she is doing the right thing by leaving him. Forehead you stupid woman! Just claim the man and hide him from everyone else!'_

Iruka watched Sakura hold back the tears that threatened to fall as she shoved Itachi away from her. _'Sakura look at yourself. You don't want to leave him…he doesn't want you to leave him either. Think about what you're doing! You're turning your back on the very person that cares for you more than anyone else in this room.'_

Itachi stopped walking towards her; he had to let her walk alone. "Sakura…"

The hurt in his eyes was well disguised to everyone, except for Sakura. She felt the wall she held up begin to crumble as she saw his hurting state. _'I'm sorry Itachi…it just wasn't ever meant to be…we are two different people…'_

"I'm…I'm sorry Itachi." She managed to mumble out as a lone tear dripped down her bloody cheek and down her neck.

Itachi never took his eyes off the spirited woman as she turned her back on him and walked towards the double doors. Once she crossed those doors Itachi would never see her smiling face again, he would never hear her sarcastic insults, her laughter, or feel her body against his. If he wanted to stop her from exiting out of his life, forever, he needed to do it now.

Sakura kept her eyes forward as everyone watched her back come closer to the double oak doors that would show her the night sky. _'I will no longer have to step foot into this castle again… I'm sorry for everyone that had to be hurt…but this is the best thing for everyone.'_

Before Sakura placed her shaking hand on the giant door handle she felt a firm grip on her left wrist. _'What the…' _She turned around to see a glaring Itachi holding her wrist.

"Itachi let me go!" She shouted as she tried to free her hand from his tense grip if she didn't get away from him now she was afraid she'd change her mind.

Itachi ignored her protest and pulled her against him. "You're a very stubborn woman Sakura Hakate." He whispered in her ear as he snaked his arms around her waist to ensure himself she wouldn't go anywhere. "If you waited for me to explain myself you wouldn't have walked out so quickly." He said as his fake sorrow was replaced with a smirk.

Sakura's face came crashing into his chest as his words traveled to her ears. She felt her body relax as he held her against him, but that didn't mean her mind relaxed. "What the hell are you talking about?!" She looked up from his chest to his face to see his typical Uchiha smirk plastered on his face. His onyx eyes were no longer sad, they where…confident? "You…! You faked that whole thing?! For what?! What the fuck is wrong with you Itachi! Why the hell would you send me over the edge like that?!"

Itachi said nothing as he allowed the wild woman to thrash against his hold. With her injuries her thrashing were nothing more than pokes but he didn't care. He moved one of his arms from her waist and lifted her at her knees. Her movements froze when she felt her feet being lifted off the ground. "Sakura you think I'd give you up for this crown? I knew you'd run away at the sight of the golden piece of metal." He dipped his head low to her ear as he carried her back to their audience. "Getting the crown was the only way I knew you'd walk out on." _'Even then I still wasn't sure what you would do.' _

Sakura felt a shiver roll up her spine as his hot breath tickled her ear. _'He…he planned on me running away? Then why would he accept the crown?' _For once in Sakura's life she couldn't predict his actions. A hidden smile seeped onto her face. _'The boot is on the other foot.' _She thought with humor.

Emerald eyes watched as everyone's eyes trailed after them, waiting to see what would happen next. She allowed the man to carry her back to the middle of the crowd and lower her gently to the floor. She stood still as Itachi straightened out his posture and held up the golden crown decorated with its royal rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds. "You have to trust me Sakura." He whispered to her.

Sakura looked into his eyes trying to find his motives, but it was as if he didn't want her to know anything. Itachi could see the anger cross her face as her nose scrunched up in annoyance. He couldn't resist the urge to bend down and claim her lips with his. The simple kiss sent his emotions on fire but he broke apart before he continued any further. He didn't need the whole country watching him ravish Sakura. _'They've seen enough skin from her.' _He thought possessively.

Sakura, however, stood on her tip toes dumbfounded by the Uchiha's actions. _'What is going on?' _She leaned into his kiss, missing the warmth he gave her. _'Who cares!' _She would have continued their kiss but his facial expressions told her no.

Sakura wasn't the only one that was confused by the Prince's actions. They were certain that Itachi was broken hearted by Sakura's pick, but when he comes back carrying her bridal-style in his arms with a smirk on his face, they weren't as sure as before.

"I'm just as confused as Sakura." Jiraiya said while he scratched the back of his head, even his writer's experience couldn't clear the fog on this situation.

"What is he going to do now?" Ino asked, staring wide eyed as her friend was kissed, for the second time, in front of the royal embassy.

"You're son is very confusing Mikoto." Tsunade said as she tilted her head at the, yet again, change of events.

"Welcome to my world everyone." Mikoto said with a smile. _'Itachi is going to do something to win Sakura I just now it.'_

"Yeah you try living with him. He's not a bundle of roses." Sasuke grumbled out in annoyance, his brother was always confusing.

"I knew there was a reason why I liked him." Kakashi said with an approving smile. _'He's a good match for Sakura. They both like to play games with others minds.' _A shiver crawled up his spine as he pictured the two of them teasing one another. _'I feel bad for their offspring.'_

Itachi turned from Sakura's direction and stared out into the crowd of people. He stared at the crown in his hands and then to Sasuke. _'Everyone knows I don't want to follow my father's footsteps. I know someone that will be a better King than he will be.'_

"Here little brother." Itachi said as he tossed the beloved crown in Sasuke's direction. Sasuke reached out and caught the golden crown with ease. "I never wanted the position. You will do more good with it than I ever will."

Sasuke caught it with wide eyes. He looked at his older brother and then back at the crown. The Uchiha smirk soon spread across Sasuke's face as his brother's plan clicked in his head. "Hn." Sasuke nodded his head at their unspoken agreement.

Fugaku turned around and snatched the crown out of the smirking Sasuke's hands. "I did not give you the crown to toss it around like some accessory! You must take it seriously!"

Itachi glared at his stubborn father and pried the man's hands off the crown. "The law states that the one who possesses the crown can make the decision." He turned to his youngest brother and placed it in his hands. "I denounce myself for being next in line. This crown goes to Sasuke when he is of age Father. That is final."

Sasuke received the crown once again with even wider smirk. "What are you going to do Itachi?"

Itachi smirked at his little brother and walked back to Sakura's side. He stared down at the petite woman and lifted her on top of his boots. His victorious black eyes stared down into Sakura's shocked emerald ones. His large hand came up to her cheek and caressed it lightly with his thumb,

Sakura felt the warmth from his hand as his thumb stroked her cheek. For that moment she forgot where she was, who was around, the events of the night, and she could only see Itachi. All she wanted to see was him, the man that she absolutely loved and wanted to keep for the rest of her life.

Itachi's smirk grew wider when her head leaned into his touch and her eyes fluttered closed. "I think it is obvious Sasuke." He answered as he captured the dazed Sakura into another kiss.

Sakura was brought back to reality by Itachi's voice, but his kiss soon sent her back to her dazed world. _'No matter how many times he does that I will never get used to it.'_

Itachi brought a hand around her waist to bring their bodies closer. His other hand tangled itself in her head as he pushed her lips closer to his own. Sakura agreed to the passionate kiss and threw both of her hands around his neck. With the remaining strength she had she lifted herself onto her toes and used her arms to lean her body even closer.

The passionate display made the room grow silent. Many watched with warmed hearts as the sign of affection. It wasn't every day that an Uchiha displayed their affections towards their women in front of everyone. Normally they liked to keep their pleasurable secrets behind closed doors.

Their kiss reluctantly ended when Itachi pulled away. He lowered Sakura from his feet to the floor and kept her closed to her side by wrapping an arm around her shoulder. The man turned to the royal crowd that watched the event with mouths opened wide.

"The Ball must end early thanks to unplanned circumstances." His eyes fluttered back to the dead Orochimaru momentarily before he bowed to everyone respectfully. "Allow the guards to escort you safely to your carriages."

The guests didn't move for a few seconds, too stunned at the casual way Itachi addressed them all. With a few confused looks to one another they climbed down from the tables and slowly walked to the main exit of the Uchiha castle. The guards stood at the doors and escorted every family to their awaiting carriage. As the crowd began to diminish Ami and Maya came out of the bathroom, the wine completely washed out of Ami's dress.

Ami looked around to see everyone leaving the Ball. "Where is everyone going? The Ball has just begun!"

Maya shrugged her shoulders as she took her sister's hand and lead her into the middle of the Uchiha's. "I don't know Sister but we missed something." She caught sight of the stained walls and shuttered at the stench. "Look!"

Ami stopped walking at the sight of the dead man's body. "Oh my god!" The smell in the air made Ami squeal out in horror. "This is disgusting!"

Ami shoved her sister's hand away and ran up to Itachi, not noticing the attached Sakura. "Ita what happened? I wasn't gone that long!"

Itachi turned around as he heard the annoying voice behind him. He looked down to see Sakura shutter as she heard Ami's voice. His arm gently squeezed Sakura's shoulders, showing Sakura she didn't have to deal with the annoying woman alone.

Ami's mouth dropped to the floor as she saw Sakura attached to **her** man's arm. Her arm rose into the air as her index finger pointed at Sakura. "What do you think you're doing with my man Haruno!"

Sakura looked up at Itachi and then at the fuming Ami. She ducked out of Itachi's arms and encircled her own bloody arm around Ami's shoulder.

Ami gasped at the sight and smell of the blood that covered Sakura. "Haruno get your dirty self off of my dress! It's worth more than your life!"

Sakura simply chuckled at Ami's insult and lead her to the door. "Listen Ami, I've been more than nice to you and you're reaching my patience." She released Ami from her grip and turned to smile at the Uchiha that never moved from his spot. She watched as Ami ogled at her man. "If you dare make a move on him Ami…my dirty self will slice every bone in your body."

Ami glared at Sakura. "What makes you think that Ita is yours? Everyone knows him and I are going to get married."

Sakura laughed out loud and shook her head. "Think again Ami. Itachi is mine. You are to never come near him, or Sasuke, ever again. If I hear that you try to I will personally see to your demise."

Ami watched in a scared manner as Sakura pulled out a bloody kitchen knife and began to play with it. Ami felt sick as the dried blood stuck to the blade. The blood made her picture her own blood being on the very knife that twirled around Sakura's fingers.

"This isn't over Haruno." She growled out frighteningly as she grabbed Maya and ran out the castle.

An inward smirk crossed Itachi's face as he watched Ami shiver uncomfortably and then roughly grab Maya. His eyes danced with amusement as the two of them walked out of the door in a hurried manner, hoping to get as far away from Sakura as possible. He never took his eyes off of the smirking pink haired woman as she hid the knife back under her dress.

"She won't be bothering you again." Sakura said with her smirk still on her face.

Itachi said nothing as he pushed Sakura under his arm and kissed the side of her neck. "I could have handled her myself."

Sakura shivered as his kisses trailed from her neck to under her ear lobe. "She needed to know that she couldn't mess with you anymore."

Itachi smirked at Sakura's response and continued to walk towards the remaining people in the room. "Little possessive?"

Sakura gently pushed her elbow into his ribs. "No one asked for your opinion Uchiha."

Itachi felt happiness settle in his stomach as the realization that Sakura was finally his settled in his stomach. He looked ahead to see familiar faces waiting for their return. The happy couple stopped in the now empty room. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Iruka, Ino, Mikoto, Sasuke, and Fugaku stared at them with mixed expressions.

"What are you planning on doing now Itachi?" Mikoto asked them as she walked over to her son.

Itachi slowly removed his arm from Sakura and allowed his mother to hug Sakura. "You know what I want to do Mother." He said as he watched his mother cautiously, ready to pull Sakura away if Mikoto hugged her a little too hard.

"Why don't you share your plan with the rest of us Itachi? You're not the only one that cares for Sakura." Tsunade said with a calculating stare.

Jiraiya shook his head. "Don't let Tsunade scare you; she's just a little over-protective."

"A little?" Ino added in with a smirk. "Try a lot!"

Itachi remained emotionless as Sakura's family commented on each other's statements. The once quiet people suddenly came to life. _'It is amazing how more talkative they get once their secret is out.'_

"I will be taking Sakura into the world."

Sakura stared at Itachi with wide eyes. "W-What?"

Itachi looked down into her shocked emerald eyes and nodded his head. "Hn."

Kakashi smiled at his daughter's reaction and then nodded gratefully to Itachi. "Weren't expecting that huh Sakura?

Sakura numbly shook her head from side-to-side. "No…I didn't."

"Wait you two can't leave me here alone!" Sasuke yelled at them. _'Why do they get to have all the fun?!'_

Mikoto giggled at Sasuke's remark. She snaked her arms around the teenager and gave him a hug. "Don't worry Sasuke they aren't leaving just yet."

"When are you two leaving?" Iruka asked, Mikoto brought up a very good question.

Itachi looked at everyone with a calm stare. "Once Sakura's wounds are healed."

Fugaku felt his vision blur at the revealed plan. _'That little bitch ruins everything!' _He glared at the pink haired woman for the last time before he turned on the back of his heel and slammed the back door behind him.

Their conversation came to a momentary halt as Fugaku's frustrated slam echoed through the room. Mikoto sighed as she smiled apologetically towards everyone.

"Please ignore him. He's just angry. He'll cool down."

"I'm sure he will." Ino said with a grunt. "He doesn't like it when he doesn't get his way."

"Ino, now is not the time to start that." Tsunade said with a stern voice.

Ino snorted and crossed her arms. "Whatever Tsunade. You know it's true."

Kakashi looked away from the slammed door and studied Sakura's stance. She looked exhausted and hurt. "Itachi you can fill us in on your plan later. Sakura you look like you can barely stand. Let's get you to Shizune."

Now that Kakashi mentioned Sakura's tired state Sakura did notice that she had been using Itachi support her. "I didn't even realize how drained I was."

Kakashi shook his head as he circled his arms around his daughter. Itachi reluctantly released Sakura from his side to allow Kakashi to take her to receive medical attention. _'In time Sakura we will be together, with no one to question it and we will both be free of this castle.'_

As Sakura used Kakashi as a crutch she saw Anko pop her head out of the kitchen door. Her worried expression was enough to make Sakura stop walking and motion for Anko to follow.

That night Sakura stayed bed ridden while Shizune patched up her injuries. During that time Sakura explained her predicament to Anko and Itachi revealed his plan once Sakura was fully healed. The night of anticipation and worry slowly faded from everyone's mind. It was a fresh start of a new life, for everyone.

* * *

Months passed as Sakura was kept under strict watch by Shizune and the Uchiha's. They wanted her to receive the best recovery possible. Sakura found herself having seven different babysitters to help her cope with being locked up.

It wasn't until Sakura could fully rotate her arm without a shutter of pain, did Shizune deem her ready to leave her office. When the announcement was made Mikoto had the servants fetch the needed supplies that would send Itachi and Sakura on their way.

The final moments arrived as two horses' were saddled with Itachi and Sakura's belongings on the side of their saddles. A servant held the anxious horses in place while Itachi and Sakura said their final goodbyes.

Itachi hugged his mother as she sniffled back her tears. "Be careful Itachi. Life outside these walls is nothing like Kohana."

Itachi kissed the top of Mikoto's head. "Hn."

He made his way to Sasuke and nodded his head. "Keep this place afloat little brother."

Sasuke nodded his head. "Keep yourself afloat Itachi. You're the one that will need it."

Itachi smirked at his brother and came face-to-face with Kakashi. "Kakashi." He said with a respectable nod of his head.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side. "Take care of my daughter Itachi. I trust you to protect her with your life."

"Hn Kakashi. Don't worry." Itachi said with a confident nod. _'I would protect Sakura until my last breath.'_

Tsunade snorted as she jumped into the conversation. "Doesn't mean we don't get to warn you Uchiha."

"If you do anything to hurt Sakura, Tsunade and I will know. We are the spies that trained Sakura you know. We will hunt you down and unleash a new world of pain." Jiraiya threatened. "We didn't teach her all we knew."

Itachi took their threats expectantly. They were Sakura's family, of course they will scare him into never hurting Sakura. _'They don't have to do such a thing…but I wouldn't expect anything less.' _He looked to see Sakura hugging an energetic blonde. _'I would never hurt you Sakura, I will never let anything bad happen to you ever again.'_

"You better stay in touch with me Sakura!" Ino said as she hugged Sakura once again.

Sakura laughed at her excited friend. "Yes Ino, for the fifth time I will send a crow your way whenever I can."

"And I mean tell me about **everything** Forehead." She said as she tilted her head in Itachi's direction.

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up at Ino's suggestions but glared at her childhood friend. "Bye Pig!" She told her one last time as she gave the blonde on final hug.

"Bye Sakura."

She stared sadly at Anko. "I wish I could spring you from this place Anko."

Anko smiled at Sakura and shook her head. "Please Pinky. Is there anywhere else I would be? The kitchen is my home, just like the open land is yours. Now go out there and live a little!"

Sakura nodded her head and smiled brightly at her big sister figure. "Take care of yourself Anko."

Anko twirled her butcher's knife around her fingers absentmindedly and gave Sakura thumbs up. "Same for you Pinkie."

With a turn of her heel Sakura came face-to-face with Mikoto and Sasuke and gave Mikoto a hug. "I will miss you. It won't be the same not having to get up and take care of you Mikoto."

Mikoto wiped her tears from her eyes. "I'll never find someone as trusting as you Sakura, but you deserve to be free. You've been cooped up in this Castle for too long. Don't worry about me. I'm in good hands."

Sasuke gave Sakura a hug once she was done with his crying mother. "Keep Itachi in line Sakura. He needs to be disciplined."

Sakura giggled and ruffled Sasuke's raven hair. "Of course Sasuke. And I expect you to be more mature the next time I see you."

Sasuke grunted. "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Mikoto didn't miss Sakura's eyes travel over to her bedroom window with the sour looking Fugaku looking out. "Don't worry about him Sakura, he will get over it…it will just take some time."

Sakura absentmindedly nodded her head. "I just don't want you to have to deal with his temper. It isn't fair to you."

"Sakura." Mikoto said. "I've dealt with it all my life I can handle this. It's a piece of cake." She winked to give Sakura the extra reassurance she needed.

Sakura smiled at the notion. "You've got a point Mikoto."

Mikoto pushed Sakura to Kakashi. Kakashi eyed his daughter with pride and engulfed her into a bone crushing hug.

"Be careful out there Sakura. You might want to go a little slow until Itachi gets used to you. I can't afford to loose you again."

Sakura buried her face into her father's chest and giggled lightly. "You got it Kakashi. Don't worry I think Itachi will catch on quickly."

Kakashi shook his head and ruffled the top of Sakura's head. "You're mother would be very proud of you."

Sakura looked up to the sky as she pictured her mother looking down at her from the heavens. "I know Kakashi. She can now rest knowing that everything is finally resolved."

Kakashi swung his arm around Sakura's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Never forget that we will always be with you. Wherever you go Sakura, we will always watch over you."

Sakura stood up on her toes and kissed the side of Kakashi's cheek. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Don't forget to write to me."

"I would never forget to."

Kakashi kissed Sakura on the top of her head one last time as he reluctantly guided her to Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Iruka.

Tsunade grabbed Sakura's arm and pushed the petite woman into her big bust. Sakura allowed her mentor to suffocate her with her big breasts. _'I won't be getting hugs like this for a while.'_

"I can't believe how much you have grown. You better remember me once you're halfway around the world."

"Tsunade I will never forget you. I'll make sure to tell you of everything I find. I promise. Who knows I might send you back some…gifts."

Tsunade broke Sakura away from her chest and flashed a proud smile. "Load on the gifts!" She and Sakura laughed at Tsunade's own excitement at the mention of the gifts. "You've come a long way Sakura. Take in the freedom. You have only one life to live."

Jiraiya found Sakura and lifted her off the ground into a hug. "Show that Uchiha how troublesome you really are. Finally someone else can see how it feels to watch over you. It's like a twenty-four seven watch with you." His eyed the eldest Uchiha as he said goodbye to his mother one last time. "Maybe you'll even get a little something from him?" Jiraiya finished as he winked at Sakura knowing full well she won't have any trouble with that..

Sakura playfully punched Jiraiya in the shoulder as a blush covered her cheeks. "Once a pervert always a pervert."

"Don't be too hard on him Sakura; he's just said that because you are leaving him." Iruka said.

Sakura smiled at Iruka and captured him into a hug. "I know. I'll miss him too."

She stepped away from her small family and smiled gratefully. "That you….all of you. You have done everything for me and I can't be any more grateful. I'll miss you greatly."

"Live your life Sakura." Tsunade said with a smile.

"Don't worry about us we had our fun." Jiraiya said with a smile.

"I'll take care of these two." Iruka said reassuringly. "I've been doing it even before we found you."

Sakura smiled at them all and waved. "Well I guess this is goodbye. I will tell you everything!"

They watched as Itachi took her from them and tossed her up onto the awaiting stead. Once he was sure she was comfortably sitting on the horse he jumped onto his own. He strapped his belongings securely and waved the servant away.

Sakura did the same to her own items and grasped the horse's reins in her hands. The feeling of the breeze wisped across her face in a comforting manner. She looked to her left to see Itachi staring at her.

"You ready?" She said with a smirk.

Itachi nodded his head as his own smirk graced his handsome face. "Hn."

"Bye!" Mikoto yelled out as she watched them get ready to gallop off into the distance.

"Don't run into too much trouble!" Iruka yelled out.

"YOU BETTER VISIT US FOREHEAD!" Ino yelled at the top of her lungs.

Itachi stared at Sakura as she shook her head at their family's shouting. He stood up straight and dug his heels into the horse's side. His stead stood on his hind legs and galloped away into the mountains.

"Hey! You ass hole! You're a cheater!" Sakura yelled after him as she sent her mare forward to gallop after Itachi.

Kakashi laughed as his daughter chased after Itachi. "She'll be good for him."

"Maybe a little too good." Tsunade said with a smirk.

"Only time will tell us what will become of them." Iruka said with a smile.

"When am I going to be able to run away from this place?!" Sasuke yelled as he turned around and began to walk to the castle.

Mikoto shook her head while Jiraiya placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Mikoto we will get Sasuke set up too."

"Thanks Jiraiya." Mikoto said as they all followed the infuriated Sasuke into the Uchiha Castle.

* * *

Sakura and Itachi road side-by-side, through the mountains, only stopping when their horses, or themselves, were thirsty. The realization of being free hit them as soon as the sun hide and the moon shined in the sky.

Itachi and Sakura pulled the saddles off their horses and lay in the grass, looking at the night sky. Itachi used their bags as his pillow as he made Sakura lay on top of him.

The sounds of the night creatures surrounded them as Sakura curled into a ball against Itachi. Her head wiggled deeper into his coat as she tried to block out the nightly breeze.

"Hey Itachi?" Her voice was muffled by the fabric that covered her mouth.

Itachi mindlessly traced designs in Sakura's back as he lazily watched the stars twinkle in the night sky. "Hm?"

Sakura cuddled deeper into his embrace and began to play with his long hair that he let loose. "Why did you choose to roam around the country?"

Itachi inwardly chuckled at her naïve question. "You don't belong in a castle Sakura."

"I know that." She said with a bite in her tone. "I want to know why you really choose the run around all creation."

Itachi sighed at his persistent woman. He sat up and placed the comfortable woman in-between his legs. One hand held her chin, while his other hand brushed her pink locks away from her face, making him able to see her beautiful face. "You deserved the open land Sakura. You were never meant to be caged like an animal." He looked deep into her eyes, getting lost into the endless pools of green. "Besides…"

Sakura leaned in closer to him as her eyes flickered from his eyes to his mouth. "Besides what?" She said with a sassy smile.

Itachi pulled her head to his lips as he kissed the woman with every ounce of passion he possessed. He never wanted this moment to end, they were finally together, peaceful, and no one could stop them.

Sakura grabbed Itachi's hair to lift herself closer to the romantic man that held her close. The two of them broke apart as the need for air was evident. Itachi never looked away from her eyes as he said his next words.

"I love you Sakura."

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat at Itachi's confession. She moved her hands from his hair and a giant smile spilled across her face. Itachi watched as the excited woman encircled her arms around him and delivered a tight hug.

"I love you too Itachi." She said as she initiated another kiss.

The two sprawled out on the grass, under the moon and stars, and finally completed what their hearts desired. That night, the forest was filled with screams of pleasure and bliss as the two lovers were finally able to show their true feelings for one another, with no one watching and with not a care in the world. The way it was suppose to be.

* * *

Word of the eldest Uchiha running around the world with Tsunade's apprentice reached every high leader in Fire Country. It was shocking at first to hear of the strange love but it wasn't until the married couple proved their killer team work of a desired alliance. Some called upon the fighting duo for help while others wanted to make a treaty with Itachi and Sakura.

Years passed and the two lovers constructed an organization called Akatsuki. Itachi knew Sakura wasn't one to settle down in a wooden cabin and neither was he. The two of them made this organization to utilized misfits that felt like they didn't belong in their own country. Itachi and Sakura made sure to channel their new teammate's abilities to track down the evils in the world. Every country heard of the duo's insanely strong organization. The location of Akatsuki was a mystery to all, only a selected few knew where it was.

The citizen's made up stories of their love live, or even the organization. Soon stories made the children want to be just like the Akatsuki or some wished to find such a romance. The organization soon possessed the name as Guardians, because that's what they did, they watched over everyone.

Only Itachi's and Sakura's family knew what truly went on. The two would visit their old home town as much as they could; it always filled Sakura with happiness to see her family's smiling faces. They were able to see how much Sasuke had grown and to catch up on old news with their family.

* * *

Now, Itachi and Sakura run with the wind in their faces, branches under their feet, leading their team from city to city, finding and killing those who threatened society.

"Can we take a break my feet are killing me." Deidara complained as he tried to keep up with Sakura and Itachi's fast pace.

"We have only a few more miles Deidara can't you hold on a little longer?" Sakura growled out to him.

"You'd think after a year he'd be able to keep up with us." Sakura whispered to Itachi.

Itachi shook his head at his wife's comments. He had learned that she was not one for patience. _'Deidara I suggest you keep your mouth shut before Sakura unleashes a very scary side that I don't think you want to see.'_

"Yeah right! This little complaining fucker doesn't like to do shit Sakura! Can't we just leave his ass?" Hidan said with an evil grin.

"Why don't we just leave your ass here Hidan? You're more annoying that Deidara." Kisame said with a groan.

"Want to go cock sucker?!"

Sakura growled at the fighting members. "With both of you shut the fuck up?! My god! You're more annoying than Ino! We have two miles left. It's not that complicated. Either stop arguing or keep quiet until we get to Suna."

"Tobi says we listen to Sakura. Tobi thinks Sakura gets scary when she is mad and Tobi doesn't like it when Sakura gets mad."

Kisame sighed as he increased his speed. "Unfortunately the little squirt has a point."

Itachi felt the air around their fighting teammates quiet down after Sakura's outburst. _'I told you everything would be simple Sakura. No longer do you have to hide anything, you are the free person you wished to be.' _Itachi secretly stared at Sakura with love in his eyes. Ever in a million years would he have pictured himself a leader of an organization, married to the most head strong, and scariest woman he has ever met. But life had a funny way of making things work out.

Sure, it can get very complicated. Life is anything but simple. It can be thrown off its original course only to have it jump onto another one. It goes from black and white to color in a matter of seconds. So the question remains…it is as simple as black and white, right?

* * *

THE

END

* * *

_**Author's Note:**_ For the last time of this story: I hope everyone enjoyed the final chapter to the story!! I'm very pleased to see how many reviews this story got even though it is not of the show's original story line. Thank you again for taking the time to read and review the chapters and this chapter. Thank you for everything :) If it weren't for you this story would not be as successful as you all made it :)


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